this is inspired by that one post stating that politics in BU is a hopeless case and how it mirrors our country, and i agree. though i would like to add that while there are those who see university politics as mere theatrics, there are also those who think that student politics are trivial--even worse, those who are so out of touch from their environment that they think politics within the institution doesn't even exist. crazy as it may sound, but i doubt it should even be a surprise considering how the administration barely promotes proper practice of political and democratic rights among students.
as much as the admin has a role in this, i truly believe that a huge part of it all still lies on the student themselves because how could you stay apathetic towards an election that's been actively brought up multiple times among the class? voting based on their friends' choice of candidates, voting for whichever slate has more popularity, and other situations alike without any efforts of scrutinizing? shouldn't this be an exercise and reflection on how we treat politics as a whole?
this also goes to those na mga basta-basta lang sumasali or nagbabalak to join in orgs/publications/councils (usually in CSCs) without taking into full consideration of the political involvement they're putting themselves in. sa convocation pa nga lang palyado na, how can we expect for you to stand up and make changes when it's evident that you have no interests in active political engagement?

I wrote a Substack about my decision to break up with my smartphone, and how it's going one month in. Sharing here in case anyone browsing is on the fence and maybe this will help you think through the decision. Here's an excerpt:
For years now, I’ve had a nagging feeling that I was addicted to my smartphone, and that the addiction was kind of ruining my life. The ever-present urge to scroll was taking me away from my children, my husband, and, perhaps most importantly, myself.
Every Sunday morning, I’d feel a mix of dread and shame when the screen time “Weekly Report Available” notification flashed across my iPhone. Rather than participating in real life, another week had gone by in which I spent a heinous amount of my time scrolling content that I barely remembered afterward. Why wasn’t I able to exercise even a modicum of self control here?
The parental guilt spiral would follow. I’d relive the multiple occasions over the past week that I’d responded with irritation to my kids when they’d tried to get my attention while I was looking at my phone. These moments happened at home, at the park, on walks around the neighborhood, at the library, on play dates, at school drop-off and pick-up, and even in the car at red lights.
I knew my phone was making me a worse parent and a worse human, and I felt pathetic that I couldn’t get a handle on this addiction. I’d then run from those feelings of guilt and shame by dissociating on my phone some more. It was a vicious cycle.
Full post: https://cdinur.substack.com/p/why-and-how-i-broke-up-with-my-smartphone

I am a recent retiree from the Army. I have been interviewed for one position I did not get, and I am looking for pointers on improving my resume. I also use the USA.jobs resume creator when required. I have 15+ years of operations experience up to the Sergeant Major level but also just graduated with an accounting degree with honors. I am trying to leverage my education and experience, but also applying to the fields separately. I keep getting conflicting advice on my resume, so any help is appreciated.
Citizenship: Yes - United States Citizen Security Clearance: Active Secret Clearance Availability: Full-Time/ Permanent
PROFILE SUMMARY
Accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in operations, strategic planning, and team leadership. Dedicated to driving organizational excellence through dynamic strategies aligned with institutional objectives. Proven track record of adept leadership, fostering cohesive teams, and ensuring timely project delivery. Skilled in problem-solving and communication, adept at identifying and resolving operational challenges. Proficient in fiscal management and cost optimization, resulting in budget-friendly solutions and improved profitability. Experienced in organizational development, enhancing work culture, and boosting employee engagement and retention.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
[U.S. Department of the Army](): Senior Operations Manage Operations Sergeant Major 1-314^th Infantry Battalion - Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ April 2022 to Retirement (40 Hours per Week)
~Duties & Related Skills:~

• Trained and supervised staff on financial databases and digital systems crucial for accurate financial record-keeping and daily operations
• Received formal recognition for administrative expertise, driving successful financial operations, and influencing process improvements
• Collaborated with operational partners to facilitate two Army-level training exercises and coordinate financial aspects of all training activities
• Conducted specialized correspondence training for financial and operational staff, enhancing financial reporting accuracy and efficiency
• Identified, remedied, and approved Defense Travel System travel claims, resulting in substantial cost savings and heightened quality assurance in financial processes

U.S. Department of the Army: Senior Operations Manage Future Operations and Planning Lead & First Sergeant Fort Drum Garrison Headquarters & 10^th Mountain Division Headquarters - Fort Drum, NY September 2019 to March 2022 (40 Hours per Week)
~Duties & Related Skills:~

• Provided direct administrative and technical support to senior executives and a team of 15,000 personnel
• Revamped and optimized the future operations staff section, fostering a professional environment focused on organizational enhancement and superior customer service
• Handpicked to lead a planning and future operations cell, surpassing fifteen highly qualified candidates based on proven expertise and exceptional results
• Conceptualized, developed, and implemented standard operating procedures for expeditionary logistics nodes, resulting in considerable time savings for outload and mission command establishment
• Demonstrated mastery in overseeing six digital automation networks and executing senior operational actions for five international training exercises, ensuring seamless mission command
• Successfully planned and executed training exercises involving over 3,000 personnel across a dispersed area spanning 250 miles, achieving a 100% success rate

U.S. Department of the Army: Senior Operations Manage Current Operations Lead & First Sergeant 1-504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment & 82^nd Airborne Division Headquarters - Fort Liberty, NC December 2015 to August 2019 (40 Hours per Week)
~Duties & Related Skills:~

• Supervised division current operations section, enabling rapid worldwide deployment of contingency forces within 18 hours
• Demonstrated effective communication, interpersonal, multitasking, and leadership skills, driving results in dynamic environments
• Maintained precision and diligence in performing duties, consistently delivering accurate results
• Excelled in planning and organizing tasks under adverse conditions with minimal supervision, achieving exceptional outcomes
• Conducted data analysis, program evaluation, and risk management for eleven joint-level exercises, earning formal recognition from executive leadership
• Coordinated real-world deployments, humanitarian missions, international exercises, orders production, emergency responses, casualty affairs operations, and daily correspondence with upper echelons
• Projected an expert proficiency with Microsoft Suite tools, PowerBI, and Tableau.
• Managed a $15 million renovation and transformation of a joint task force operations center, overseeing assets worth over $2.5 million

CIVILIAN EDUCATION
Institute: Southern New Hampshire University Degree: Bachelor of Science – 2024 Major: Accounting Honors: Summa Cum Laude (3.9 GPA)
MILITARY EDUCATION
Basic, Advanced, and Senior Leadership Course U.S. Advanced Airborne School Air and Unit Movement Officer U.S. Air Force Air-load Planner Combat Lifesaver Emergency Medical Technician
CERTIFICATIONS
· U.S. Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency – DOD Mandatory Controlled Unclassified Information, Awareness & Reporting · U.S. Department of the Army – Information Security Program, Army OPSEC Level 1 · U.S. Department of Defense – Certified OPSEC for EOP Operators/ OPSEC Awareness for Military Members, DoD Employees & Contracto Combating Trafficking in Person for Investigative Professionals/ Combating Trafficking in Person General Awareness/ Combating Trafficking in Persons for Acquisition & Contracting Professionals/ Level 1 Antiterrorism Awareness, Military Occupational Code, Managing your Transition, Financial Planning for Transition, Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition, Identifying & Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information PII, Introduction to Privacy Act 1, 2, & 3
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES (KSA)
· Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and proficiency in deployment and mobility operations, including wartime contingency plans and adherence to relevant instructions, regulations, directives, and local operating procedures.
· Proficient in handling classified and/or protected documents, with adeptness in utilizing various automated data management systems.
· Proficient in budget analysis and administration, encompassing knowledge of budgetary methods, practices, policies, procedures, regulations, and precedents, as well as the accounting system for budgetary information.
· Skilled in implementing security methods, rules, regulations, and principles, supporting security administration, resolving security-related issues, and performing diverse security assignments.
· Proficient in providing authoritative consultation and conducting complex training administration, with the ability to assess program needs, evaluate status, and recommend/implement improvement solutions.
· Proficient in applying tact and diplomacy in advising individuals and high-level officials on complex and sensitive issues, related to planning, organizing, and directing functions of small organizations.
· Demonstrates entry-level proficiency in applying basic principles, concepts, and practices of the occupation.
· Effective communication skills in conveying factual and procedural information clearly, both orally and in writing.
· Proficient in assessing and measuring organizational trends, concerns, and needs, identifying gaps in services, and providing recommendations for effective plans and tools.
· Ability to analyze problems, identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and utilize critical thinking skills to recognize solutions.
· Skilled in conducting one-on-one training, group presentations, and training sessions through oral communication.
· Demonstrates ability to plan, organize work, follow instructions, and manage multiple ongoing projects effectively, with proficiency in locating, assembling, and composing information for reports, inquiries, and limited technical correspondence.
· Proficient in identifying training needs, instructing personnel, and communicating effectively both orally and in writing.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
Budget Analyst 2022 [– ]()2024 Knowledge Management Officer 2016 – 2018 Digital Master Gunner 2016 – 2018 Army Instructor 2011 – 2013 DTS Authorizing, Certifying, and Reviewing Official 2008 – 2024
AWARDS
Eagle Scout Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal (4) Army Commendation Medal (6) Army Achievement Medal (5) Army Good Conduct Medal (7) Drill Sergeant Identification Badge Combat Infantryman Badge Expert Infantryman Badge Command Cyber Readiness Award First Army Commanding General Award Friends of Lynn Woods Cyrus M. Tracy Award
ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPATION
National Eagle Scout Association Veterans of Foreign Wars National Infantry Association 82^nd Airborne Division Association
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY
Habitat for Humanity 2022 - Present Salem Hospital 1992 - 1996
EDUCATIONAL FOCUS AREAS
Organizational Leadership, Leadership Communication, Operations Management, Principles of Management, Human Relations in Administration, Principles of Finance, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I II & III, Advanced Accounting, Cost Accounting, Auditing Principles, Auditing and Forensic Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, Business Valuation, Federal Taxation, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Business Law I & II, Global Business Dimensions, Driving Business Opportunities, Critical Business Skills for Success, Applied Marketing Strategies, Data Analytics for Financial Professionals, Statistics, and Technology in Society.

As many of you may have read, there is a case of two missing adopted kids in North Carolina, where remains have been found. The news has reported that their adoptive “mother” is Avantae Deven.
I’m a curious person and started digging up information on Avantae Deven when I first read the story in my news feed and could not believe what I was reading. It seemed like whomever this woman is must have be using an alias; Avantae Deven is not a name like Kim Jones or Mackenzie Smith.
The more I dug, the weirder it seemed to get. I found a property deed to a place in Sedona, Arizona, and figured out that whomever this Avantae person is, she at one point in time had owned a home together with someone named Nicole Adams. So I dug into who Nicole Adams was, and learned that she was the widow of a spiritual leader named Robert Adams. It appeared to me that there would be no way to identify who Avantae really was, unless I could also identify the true identity of Robert Adams.
*******
I've done investigative work for many years, including skip tracing. I can conclusively state that there was absolutely no person actually named Robert Adams born in New York State on January 21, 1928. This is demonstrated by the New York Birth Index. I have combed the census records for 1930, 1940, and 1950, and cross-checked them against multiple databases, and am confident that nobody with the birth name of Robert Adams was born anywhere in the United States on January 21, 1928.
Moreover, there was absolutely no person with the true name of Robert Adams who died anywhere at all in the United States, let alone Sedona, Arizona, on March 2, 1997. This is demonstrated by the Social Security Death Index.
I began this research largely by performing exhaustive searches on the known addresses that are associated with Robert, his wife Leonie (who used to use the alias Nicole), and Avantae Deven (who turns out to be their daughter Michelle who began using the alias Avantae in the mid-1990’s or so). Most of the addresses are PO boxes. Those that are PO boxes are all *private* PO boxes, not PO boxes that one can rent from the United States Postal Service. To me, that spoke volumes. The family were clearly using aliases.
As I explain further below, I eventually determined that “Robert Adams” was Robert Spiegel, born 21 January 1932 in New York. “Nicole Adams” was actually Aileen Beverly Leonie Maxwell, born February 2, 1929, in Jamaica. “Avantae Deven” is actually their daughter, Michelle K. Spiegel, born on October 1, 1960, in California.
One of Robert’s many false stories about Robert’s life that my research has refuted is Robert’s claim that his mother was Jewish and his father was Catholic. That was a lie. Both of his parents were Jewish. It’s also interesting that he claimed that he was “raised Catholic.” There is absolutely nothing to suggest that. His mother always, in New York, lived in Jewish neighborhoods. Moreover, as will be discussed below, his parents had a Jewish wedding. It’s also downright absurd that he would tell people that he was “half Jewish.” If your mother’s Jewish, you are Jewish, pure and simple. Even if Robert’s father had truly been Catholic (which he wasn’t; his name was Samuel Spiegel and he immigrated to America in 1907, lived with his Jewish, Yiddish-speaking cousins, and spoke Yiddish himself), Robert would have been Jewish because the status of being a Jew comes from the mother. Robert’s mother’s name was Fannie (nee Fleisfeder) Spiegel. Fannie’s parents were Itzik Fleisfeder and Esther Libke (nee Rifkin) Fleisfeder. Esther’s parents were Mendel Rifkin and Sarah whose maiden name is lost to time and the disappearance of the shtetls. Robert’s claim to having had a Catholic father was utterly false, but is part and parcel of his ongoing compulsive daily lying about anything and everything.
Here is the story.
*******
Kolomyia, formerly known as Kolomea, is a city currently located in the Western Ukraine.
On January 21, 1892 (the same year that Kolomea tallis¹ workers went on strike for better pay and working conditions), Kolomea resident Rachel Katz, wife of Abraham Spiegel, gave birth to a son, who was given the name Schmuel.
On the date that Schmuel Spiegel entered the world, Kolomea was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and almost half of the city’s residents were Jewish.
In June of 1907, fifteen-year-old Schmuel² boarded the Zeeland, which sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, arriving at New York Harbor on June 18, 1907. The ship’s manifest states that Schmuel’s father had paid for his transport, and that Schmuel intended to reside with his father, Abe, in Brooklyn. Schmuel was granted entrance, and took up residence with his cousin Charles Fetner, who resided at 353 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, in Apartment A with his wife Jennie and their baby daughter Ettie. The sparse record that exists suggests that although Schmuel’s father was, indeed, named Abraham, Abraham lived and died in Europe, without immigrating to America.
The 1910 census describes Samuel’s cousin Charles as a carpenter, who had been married to housewife Jennie for six years, and a father of three children-- Ettie age four, Nathan age two, and baby Jacob, who was not even a year old. Eighteen-year-old Samuel was identified by profession as a “Foreman Sailmaker” in an industry described as “pocket-books.”
Three and a half years after being granted admission, on a bitterly cold winter day, January 4, 1911, Schmuel (now employed as a pocket-book maker, and having Anglicized his name to Samuel) signed and submitted his declaration to become a United States citizen. He stated, in that declaration, that he was born on January 21, 1892.
By 1915, Samuel had left his cousin’s abode and was residing as a lodger in the home of a widow named Rose Hammer, who lived with her two adolescent sons, Meyer and Louis, at 531 E. 5^th Avenue; Samuel was now working as a “driver.”
Two years after the 1915 state census was taken, Samuel had moved back to Myrtle Avenue, but this time at building no. 849. On June 15, 2017, Samuel registered for the draft, and described himself as being a pocketbook maker, working for “A. Shoenfeld,” at 101 Crosby Street, New York. He was single. He stated, in his draft registration, that he was born on January 21, 1892.
*******
A woman named Fruma Fleisfeder was born in Beltz, Bessarabia, sometime between July 1, 1893, and 1901, to Itzik Fleisfeder and Esther Lieba Rifkin. Fruma (not living up to her pious given name) provided different dates and years of birth to different authorities on different occasions, making it impossible at this point in time to know her true position in the birth order of her family. Regardless, Fruma, who began using the name Fanny upon her entrance to the United States, did have three brothers and a sister who also came to America-- Louis Fleisfeder who was born April 10, 1890, Max Irving Fleisfeder who used October 10, 1892 as his birthdate, Hersch (later known as Harry), whose official birthdate was December 15, 1901, and Sylvia who was born in approximately 1906.
On December 1, 1919, Fruma arrived in New York Harbor on the ship La Touraine, declaring her intention, at entry, to become a United States Citizen. The ship’s manifest describes her as five feet five inches tall, with fair hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. The ship’s manifest states that she was, at that time, age 24. If that were correct, she would have been born in 1895.
Fruma (then going by Fanny) took up residence with her cousin Ethel (nee Ruchlin) and Ethel’s husband Samuel Steinberg, on 15^th Street, Brooklyn. Soon thereafter, Ethel gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Theresa. The 1920 census states that Fanny was Russian, didn’t speak English but, rather, spoke Hebrew, and worked as a milliner in a millinery store. The 1920 census also states that Fanny was age 25, which lines up with her being age 24 in the prior year’s ship manifest.
*******
Sam and Fanny married in Manhattan on January 24, 1925. Their marriage certificate (signed by each of them) identifies Sam as being age 32 (contradicting, by one year, his immigration records which would have placed him at age 33), and identifies Fanny as age 24, the same age that she had claimed to be six years prior, and also contradicting an immigration petition that she would file two decades in the future, which generally placed her birth year at the mid-point of 1893.
If Fanny’s immigration records (which included a petition with her signature on it) were correct, Fanny would also have been age 32 as of her marriage to Samuel, not age 24.
So did Fanny lie in her marriage certificate? Or did she lie in her immigration petition?
The marriage certificate identifies Sam as having been born in Kolomea, Austria, and his father being Abraham, and his mother being Rachel Katz. It identifies Fanny as having been born in Beltz, Russia, to a father named Isaac, and to a mother named Esther Rifkin.
The marriage certificate does not identify Fanny as having any profession, but identifies Sam as being a pocketbook maker.
Sam and Fannie were married at 125 E. 4^th Street, Manhattan, a six-story apartment building with retail units on the ground floor that is now an expensive co-op, with three-bedroom units selling for over $900,000. Present-day real estate advertisements alternatively state that the building was built in 1894, 1903, and 1905.
The first name of the rabbi who officiated was Harry. His surname starts with Reid, but the remaining letters of his signature are illegible. Rabbi Harry identified his residence as 232 Broome Street, which, at the time, was a four-story mixed use building that, among other things, housed Chevrah Ahavath Zedek Anshei Jaskinover.
Witnesses to the marriage were Mayer Budmon and Samuel Steinberg.
*******
Sam and Fanny’s existence was documented next in the 1925 New York State census by census. They were living at 205 S. 2^nd Street. Samuel was still working as a “pocketbook maker.” Fanny was identified as a “housewife.”
Fanny was identified as age 25. This was in accordance with her age as stated on her marriage certificate, but not in accordance with her immigration documents or the 1920 census.
Sam was identified as being age 28, which conflicted with all prior records.
*******
In 1930, the couple were again enumerated, this time in the Federal census. The enumerator, whose signature appears to be “Max Krahn” (or something like that) stated that he obtained the information on April 16, 1930.
Sam was identified as a “framer” of pocketbooks. He was identified as being 36 years of age, which conflicts by two years with the age that he provided to immigration authorities. Perhaps the enumerator was simply sloppy; Samuel was also incorrectly identified in the 1930 census as having been born in “Poland,” with parents who were both also born in “Poland,” notwithstanding other governmental records having identified him as being Austrian. The language he spoke? “Jewish,” according to the enumerator. Was that to mean Hebrew? Yiddish? Both?
Fannie was identified as age 30 (directly in conflict with the information she supplied in her immigration petition, which bears her signature) and as being “Russian,” with parents born in “Russia.” The 1930 census enumerator incorrectly wrote that her year of immigration was 1921. Fannie, too, was identified by the enumerator as speaking the “Jewish” language.
Although later records reflected that Sam and Fannie had a son named Irving who was born in 1926, Irving was not recorded in the 1930 census. Was he missed by the enumerator? Or was he a later-adopted son?
The couple also had a boarder, identified by the 1930 enumerator as one Esther “Larson,” age 40, born in Russia, and similarly a speaker of the “Jewish” language.
*******
The New York Birth Index identifies a baby boy, Robert Spiegel, as one of many babies having been born in the city on January 21, 1932.
*******
On May 21, 1936, Samuel committed suicide by hanging in the family residence, a tenement apartment located at 1168 Union Avenue, in the Bronx. Although, based upon the date of birth that Samuel used for official governmental purposes he was age 44, the death certificate stated that he was age 43.
Fannie engaged the Gordon Funeral Home to prepare him for burial.
Strangely, although Samuel’s headstone accurately identified him in Hebrew as Schmuel Spiegel, son of Avraham, it inexplicably incorrectly stated that he died at age 40.
Fannie of course knew her husband’s real age; both of them signed the marriage certificate that had Samuel’s correct age listed. Furthermore, Samuel had petitioned for citizenship in 1911, and stated that his date of birth was January 18, 1892.
Why would Fannie commission a headstone with a false age? Perhaps she, like her son, was a compulsive liar. Maybe that’s where Robert got it from.
*******
The 1940 census has Fannie (identified as age 38), Robert (identified as age 8), and Fannie’s son/Robert’s brother, Irving Spiegel, age 13, as living with Fannie’s 72-year-old mother, Esther Fleisfeder, at 1537 Fulton Avenue, in the Bronx. Fannie and Esther were identified as widows. Esther was identified as “U” (unable to work), while Fannie was identified as engaged in housework. No source of income for the family was identified.
No explanation is obvious regarding where Irving was living in the census taken a decade previously. Was he adopted?
There is no “Irving Spiegel” listed in the New York Birth Index for either 1926 or 1927. There is an “Irving Spiegal” listed, who was born April 29, 1926. But he is not Irving Spiegel.
I initially thought that perhaps Irving might be one of the unnamed Baby Boy Spiegels born in New York in 1926 or 1927, and that he left the hospital unnamed because his parents were waiting for his bris before naming him. However, Robert left the hospital with the name Robert. Why wait until the bris to name one child, but not the other?
*******
Slightly less than two years after she was enumerated in the 1940 census, Fannie’s mother Esther died, at home, at 1537 Fulton Avenue. The causes of death were “Coronary Thrombosis, Pulmonary Oedema Nephritis, Hypertension, Arteriosclerosis.” Esther left this world on February 6, 1942, the same day that the W. L. Steed was torpedoed, shelled and sunk less than a hundred nautical miles east of the mouth of Delaware River by a German submarine.
She was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Fairview, New Jersey, the same cemetery where her son-in-law Samuel was interred.
*******
On November 12, 1943, Fannie, now residing at 1985 Bathgate Avenue, in the Bronx, petitioned for citizenship. She claimed, in that document bearing her signature, to be fifty years of age, meaning that if she was telling the truth, she would have been born in approximately 1893.
*******
On January 19, 1948, Robert (having assumed a false date of birth, that being January 18, 1931), enlisted in the New York National Guard. On paper, he had turned age 17 the day before his enlistment. In reality, he would be turning age 16 two days after his enlistment.
On December 9, 1949, Robert was discharged from the national guard, apparently for having been AWOL.
The discharge document identifies his address as being 1985 Bathgate Avenue, New York City.
*******
The 1950 census places Robert again at 1985 Bathgate Avenue, New York City. It correctly identifies him as age 18, and states that he worked as a shipping clerk for a newspaper company.
According to the 1950 census, Robert resided at the Bathgate Avenue address with his mother Fannie, who was purportedly still age 50 (seven years after she had previously claimed to immigration authorities to be age 50), and Robert’s brother Irving, age 24.
Irving was listed as unemployed and moreover, according to the census record, had not worked for the prior year. Fannie was employed full-time as a milliner in a hat factory.
*******
Military records reflect that Irving J. Spiegel, born in 1926 and a resident of 1985 Bathgate Avenue, who had completed two years of high school education, had flown bomber planes over Germany during the war. In his military documents, Irving described himself as single, with two dependents.
*******
On February 2, 1929, a baby girl given the name Aileen Beverly Leone Maxwell was born in Lucea, Hanover, Jamaica, to William Maxwell and Daisy (nee Tibbits) Maxwell. Her birth was registered by her parents.
*******
In 1954, Robert Spiegel and Aileen Maxwell were married in New York City. Their marriage license was given License No. 10284.
*******
The following year, the Kingston, Jamaica, Gleaner reported on June 6, 1955:
Miss Leonie Maxwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Maxwell, was married recently in New York City to Mr. Robert Spiegel of the U.S.A. Both the bride and groom are students at the New York Institute of Dietetics. The bride left the island nearly two years ago for New York. Her wedding gown was chantilly lace and nylon tulle. The bodice was fashioned with a wide, scalloped neckline and elbow-length sleeves. Her three tier skirt of chantilly lace was over pleated nylon tulle. Her fingertip-length veil was adorned with pearls.
*******
If the claim regarding the couple studying at the New York Institute of Dietetics was even true, their studies at this institution didn’t last long. In May of 1956, a number of advertisements bearing Robert’s photograph appeared in the Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner. The advertisements described Robert as a psychologist, author, lecturer, and “practitioner in auto suggestion,” and identified him as “Dr. J. Robert Spiegel.” Readers were invited to come meet Robert on May 21, 1956, at Record Plaza, where he would be autographing his “latest” “world-wide” 33 and 1/3 RPM record, “How to Stop Smoking in 7 days by Auto-Suggestion.”
*******
On May 1, 1959, three residents of 1985 Bathgate Avenue, Bronx, New York, came through customs, having returned from a trip to Jamaica. They identified themselves as “Robert D. Spiegel” born in New York (in addition to giving himself a false middle initial, Robert neglected to complete the I-94-A fully, specifically by leaving his birthdate blank), “Leonie A. Spiegel” born in Jamaica on February 2, 1929, and their minor daughter, and “Sharon S. Spiegel,” born in New York. Someone also neglected to fully complete Sharon’s I-94-A, specifically by leaving her birthdate blank.
*******
Leonie had taken Sharon to Jamaica two years earlier. There are no publicly available records pertaining to their outbound transport from the United States to Jamaica. There is, however, a record pertaining to their return to the United States. That publicly available record does not provide their address, but Sharon is identified as weighing 1 stone 5 pounds (a total of 19 pounds), and Leonie is identified as weighing six stone 5 pounds (89 pounds). Interestingly, Leonie used the name “Aileen Spiegel,” and the records assert that Aileen has no middle initial. Aileen was / is her true legal first name, but it is a lie to say that she has no middle initial.
*******
Almost two years later, on January 5, 1958, the Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner reported:
Staying at the Tamarind Hotel are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Spiegel and daughter Sharon of Miami, Florida. Mrs. Spiegel is the former Leonie Maxwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Maxwell of Lucea and has been in the United States for several years. A welcome party in their honour was given last Saturday night by Messers. Horrace, Ray, and Dennis Maxwell, brothers of Mrs. Spiegel. It was a very enjoyable affair.
*******
In 1963, roughly five years after their 1958 visit to Jamaica, Leonie petitioned for naturalization, in Louisiana. Although I am in possession of the index showing that she petitioned in 1963, I do not possess the petition itself. However, the fact that she petitioned for naturalization in Louisiana demonstrates that that at least she was residing in Louisiana at the time. Since she stated that she didn’t leave Robert’s side for over 40 years, presumably Robert, young Sharon, and also baby Michelle were living in Louisiana at that time.
*******
People who knew Robert personally relate that he stated that Leonie was a Cayman Island heiress. She wasn’t. Not only was she not born in the Cayman Islands, Leonie’s father’s estate was litigated (with the judge ruling against her) long before Robert started telling people that his wife was a Cayman Islands heiress.
Leonie’s father did leave an estate, but not to her. On November 9, 1967, the Gleaner reported that the Supreme Court had upheld the will of the late William Josiah Maxwell, the father of Horrace, Ray, Dennis, and Leonie, and the husband of Daisy Maxwell, who had contended that William’s signature was a forgery and that the person to whom his estate had been bequeathed had exercised undue influence. The court disagreed. The article reported:
The estate, which one of the executors described as “a sizeable one,” included 112 acres of land at Paradise and three houses at Lucea, Hanover.
*******
Robert apparently wasn’t banking on Leonie’s inheritance in any event. In May of 1966, advertisements appeared in the Houston Chronicle with Robert’s photo on them, selling a record that would purportedly assist people in stopping smoking in seven days. He identified himself as “Dr. J. Robert Spiegel.”
*******
On page 55 of the November 15, 1969, San Antonio, Texas Express and News, was an advertisement stating:
SCIENCE OF THE MIND
Dr. J. Robert Spiegel of Houston, director and founder of the Science of the Mind Foundation there, is conducting Sunday evening meetings at 7:30 p.m. in the Sheraton Inn, 1400 Austin Hwy.
*******
On page 4 of the July 10, 1970 edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was a photograph of Robert, with a brief local news blurb:
GUEST – Dr. J Robert Spiegel of Houston, Science of Mind Foundation director, will speak at the 10:45 a.m. service tomorrow in First Church of Religious Science, 2001 6^th Ave. His subject is “What Religious Science Teaches.”
*******
On page 8 of the June 18, 1970 edition of the Houston Daily Cougar was this advertisement:
HOME OF UNIVERSAL LIFE
“Teaching Aquarian Meditation For The New Age
Meets Every Sunday, 11:00 A.M. At The World Trade Center Auditorium
Houston, Texas
DR. J. ROBERT SPIEGEL (BRAHMADANDA) DIRECTOR - FOUNDER
Aquarian Meditation Initiation for the first time offered through correspondence. For those sincere students wishing to bypass evolution and enter the 5th Kingdom. Initiation includes meditation technique, Mantra, how to "live” 24 hours a day, and much more. Write for application today:
P.O. Box 53328 Houston, Texas 052
*******
From the Galveston Daily News, May 02, 1971, Pg. 31:
AQUARIAN MEDITATION SOCIETY PRESENTS DR. J. ROBERT SPIEGEL AN AUTHOR, LECTURER, TEACHER OF YOGA & SELF DEVELOPMENT WILL SPEAK ON MAN, MIND & THE UNIVERSE WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th AT 7:30 P.M. IN THE RECREATION CENTER HARRIS COUNTY PARK, NASA RD. # 1 ALL WELCOME — DONATION $1.50
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The 1972 Spiritual Community Guide lists Robert twice, in the San Diego area. First, on page 117, using his alias “J. Robert Spiegel”:
THE TEMPLE OF METAPHYSICAL ABUNDANCE. J. Robert Spiegel, 1118 Torrey Pines Rd., 92037. Teaches yoga, nutrition, ESP, metaphysics, psychology, mind control
Second, on page 124, in which he, as one might have predicted, was masquerading as some sort of medical man or scholar:
"AQUARIAN MEDITATION SOCIETY, U. S. Grant Hotel, Attn: Dr. Robert Spiegel, 453-7588"
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Also in 1972, Volume 25 of San Diego Magazine published in November advertised gift certificates for the “Astrology Research Center.” “Give your loved one the gift of love. Only $50” said the advertisement. Where was this entity located? At 1118 Torrey Pines Road, the same address as Robert’s Temple of Metaphysical Abundance. The advertisement purported that person identified as “Lil Canaan” was the director. The telephone number was 459-6400.
In 2013, the San Diego Union Tribune published the obituary for Lillian Mulonas, who founded the La Jolla “Astrology Research Center.” At this point in time, unless Robert Adams’ only surviving daughter, Michelle/ Prentiss/ Avantae knows the answer and talks, we will not know what relationship, if any, existed between Robert’s Temple of Metaphysical Abundance and Lilian’s Astrology Research Center, both of which were located at 1118 Torrey Pines Road in 1972.
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From the July 12, 1973, San Diego Reader:
BRAHMADANDA FOUNDATION
“Teachings of the Cosmic Way” meets Sundays, 11:00 a.m., U.S. Grant Hotel, Crystal Room. Free admission, refreshments served. Call 453-7588 for more information.
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On page 51 of the June 29, 1974 edition of Phoenix’s Arizona Republic was the following advertisement:
Speaker from San Diego
Dr. J. Robert Spiegel from San Diego, a traveler and lecturer, will speak at 8 p.m., Friday in Universal Series Center, 4340 N. Seventh Ave., on the topic “Science of Being.”
He is the founder of the “Aquarian Meditation Society” in Jamaica and is founder and publisher of “Equinox,” a philosophical newspaper.
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The family (Adams or Spiegel, however one might want to refer to them) have resided in (that I know of) New York, Miami, Jamaica, Louisiana, La Jolla, Los Angeles, Houston, New Mexico, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Sedona, and a number of cities in North Carolina.
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In at least the 1990’s, before he left for Sedona, Robert Adams used the address PO Box 7210, Jordan Avenue, D-30, Canoga Park, CA. He used that address on correspondence he wrote, and on at least one published document. Who else used that address? The data aggregators show that this address was also used by a Michelle K. Spiegel, and a person going by the name Leonie Maxwell. Michelle and Leonie also used other addresses associated with Robert, those being 1815 Willis Avenue Panorama City, and 21551 Burbank Boulevard, Woodland Hills.
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The California Birth Index shows that Michelle K. Spiegel was born on October 1, 1960, in Los Angeles County, to a mother with the maiden name Maxwell.
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In later life, Michelle used the addresses above that are associated with Robert and Leonie, as well as an address of 12004 Vanowen Street #14, North Hollywood. This is the same address at which Denniston Keith Maxwell, one of Leonie’s younger brothers, resided at, after his immigration to the United States. Denniston was one of Michelle’s uncles.
In a recent Facebook posting, Michelle/Avantae stated: “Never knew anything personal about said uncles, etc. Never asked, never cared.” Really? She shared an address with an uncle? Her uncle lived within a few minutes’ drive from her parents, and Michelle/Avantae never knew anything about him?
As an aside, Michelle/Avantae alleged (or admitted) that she “never cared” about anything personal regarding her uncles. If that is true, what does that tell us about Michelle/Avantae’s fundamental character? Antisocial? Psychopathic? Narcissistic in the extreme?
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On August 2, 1996, Michelle, going by the name Avantae E. Deven, married Tyson Ruben Alvarez in Las Vegas. The two had addresses in common in Arizona, Nevada, and Montana.
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Robert “Adams” died on or about March 2, 1997, in Sedona, Arizona.
Shortly after that, in the spring of 1997, “Nicole Adams” and “Avantae Deven” (both aliases; the correct legal names are Aileen Beverly Leonie Spiegel and Michelle K. Spiegel) purchased a home together in Sedona, on Navahopi Road. Shortly after the purchase, “Nicole” quit-claimed her portion to “Avantae.”
On July 17, 2001, Tyson, still married to “Avantae,” quit-claimed any interest in the Navahopi property to “Avantae,” and had the county recorder send the deed to “Avantae” in care of the Infinity Institute, at that time located at 9101 W. Sahara Ave. Suite 105 C29 (in other words, a private post box), in Las Vegas.
Avantae divorced Tyson in 2006. She had, by then, moved to North Carolina. She “served” Tyson via publication summons, claiming that she was unable to find him, despite his information being on multiple data aggregators.
You can go to various Facebook groups, and other sources, to pull up the documents that people have uncovered showing who is associated with the "Infinity Institute," and in what fashion, and also the addresses that they have used over the years.
In any event, this is the information regarding Robert that I think that people need to be aware of.
Why turn to a known liar and con man for spiritual guidance?
1A tallis is a prayer shawl.
2The ship’s manifest states that he was age 14, which conflicts by one year with what Samuel identified as his date of birth. These errors are not uncommon; his fare could have been purchased when he was age 14 and the records not updated.

Hello! Please be kind before giving any advice. I'm very stressed out and in a desperate need of advice. I will try and keep this as short as possible.
Me and my boyfriend are going through a rough patch. I found some messages on his phone. He wasn't cheating in anyway, but the way him and his friends would talk about other women was gross and way too sexual for someone in a relationship. Then I found out he broke my boundaries and still kept in contact with someone that he use to like/ tried to h/u with multiple times. But he said only sees her as a friend and stopping having feelings a little less than 2 months of us getting together.
His compliments towards me don't feel the same cause I know any girl he finds attractive will also get them.
I do really love him because besides he was a great boyfriend. He did everything I asked with no hesitation, he's loving, caring, romantic. He quite literally checks off all my boxes. We had the perfect relationship for a little over a year till this. We talked about marriage and our future together. But after all this I'm unsure.
I really do love him and I still want to marry him one day and have a future and do all that, but after this, I'm not sure anymore. I still love him very much, but I don't get those 'butterflies' anymore or have that 'in love' type feeling, but I still deeply love and care for him. But I want to feel 'in love' again. I don't want to mentally check out of the relationship. I'm scared I won't get those feelings back again. I want to be able to trust him 100% again and feel like how I use to feel.
We just got back from college so money is tight as we figure out our job situation, so I haven't been on any dates yet which I don't mind because I understand, but he reallv is trying to change and he wants to fix things.
I really do love him and I still want to marry him one day and have a future and do all that, but after this, I'm not sure anymore. I still love him very much, but I don't get those 'butterflies' anymore or have that 'in love' type feeling, but I still deeply love and care for him. But I want to feel 'in love' again. I don't want to mentally check out of the relationship. I'm scared I won't get those feelings back again. I want to be able to trust him 100% again and feel like how I use to feel. We just got back from college so money is tight as we figure out our job situation, so I haven't been on any dates yet which I don't mind because I understand, but he really is trying to change and he wants to fix things.
He admits his faults, knows where he is wrong, he says he really doesn't want to lose me. He understands my feelings, etc. He really doesn't want to break up nor do.
So my issue is, how do I fall back in love with him? How do I trust him? I really want this to work and I want to be with him and he wants to put in the work to fix this? We both just don't know what to do. Is there like exercises we can do? Idk.
If anyone has any advice, pls list them.
Pls be kind too guys. Thanks in advanced for any advice.

Hello, I am a 20y F. I have had hormone issues since I hit puberty. I got my first period at 9yo and have had irregular periods ever since. Ever since I was a child I had issues with excessive urination. My parents never thought much of it so we never pursued it. I was a competitive swimmer and I was always at a healthy weight. I still am very active, have a healthy diet, and weigh 120lbs. When I turned 15-16 I had severe cystic acne, hair loss, depression, my face appeared very swollen, painful periods, etc. I was on and off the pill and spironolactone but nothing really helped. Despite going on spironolactone the amount I was urinating was the same whether I am on it or not which is very strange to me. Also when I was about 16-17 I had tachycardia and shortness of breath and I was having exercise intolerance. I saw a cardiologist and they diagnosed me with POTS syndrome. When I was 18 I got my DHEA checked and it came back mildly elevated (300). I also had some small cysts on my ovaries so I was diagnosed with PCOS. I then started taking Yaz and Spironolactone 100mg. I felt much better initially but soon I was still having some problems with hair loss, acne, mood swings, urination, fatigue, heart palpitations/tachycardia, facial flushing, unwanted hair growth, and headaches. I went to a naturopathic doctor since my OBGYN dismissed my concerns. She ran multiple tests and the only thing that came back abnormal was my cortisol (35) and cholesterol (200) which have come back slightly elevated numerous times. She referred me to an endocrinologist where I had multiple tests done. My cortisol consistently comes back elevated at 50-70 for 24h urine, and 30-40 for blood. My prolactin serum initially came back as 45 with a reference range of 4.79 - 23.3. I then had an MRI which showed 5 x 2 microadenoma on my posterior pituitary. I have never had elevated/abnormal testosterone, ACTH, or other hormones and I don’t have the physical symptoms of Cushing's disease. I also have not experienced any sort of vision loss. My endocrinologist was then concerned with the possibility of an adrenal tumor. She ordered catecholamines urine which all came back normal. She also ordered metanephrines urine and my Normetanephrine came back elevated at 386 with a reference range of 90-315. She refuses to order a CT scan to check if there is a possibility of a pheochromocytoma. I just don’t understand why my cortisol is consistently coming back high when she tells me I don’t have cushings. I recently went to my follow-up appointment and she dismissed all of my concerns. She said my cortisol is high due to my birth control, the excessive urination is from spironolactone or bladder problem, the headaches are not from the microadenoma but a possible neurologic problem, and the hair loss from stress. I am really unsure of what to think or do. I feel that I’m not making any progress. I know it’s a very small tumor and I am very young but it still bothers me. I also feel I have more symptoms of an adrenal tumor than pituitary. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My journey towards my first injection of Zepbound the Friday before last started at an age earlier than I can remember. I was told that I would finish bottles twice as fast as my brother and sisters did and that was just the beginning. I can remember my first official diet at the age of 10 and can recall the allowances given by Weight Watchers to this day, 6 protein, 5 starch, 5 dairy, 3 fats, and 3 fruits, with unlimited servings of vegetables. At the time this was the accepted way of doing things and the family followed this plan together. We would calculate these portions and buy frozen meals that had these values written on the side. I never would have known that this would be the start of a lifelong battle, where I was accepted and validated while losing weight, dismissed and ridiculed when I wasn’t. In my house weight loss was looked at as a matter of willpower and my father would take me to the grocery store where we would open the bakery cabinet and breathe in the scents of the muffins, brownies, and other pastries without giving in the the temptation of eating any of them. The yo-yoing of my weight started then and continued through 5 years ago, when I was larger than ever and found my way to a weight loss clinic that restricted calories down to 800 a day before building back up over time, mostly through the use of bars and shakes, alongside a meal of protein and veggies. Just like in the past I was able to shed weight on command with a restrictive system, eventually losing 140 pounds, which brought me from 388 down to 248. This was by far the largest loss of my life, having had losses of 90, 75, and multiple losses in the 30-50 range. This time it felt different, but the binge eating at night came back every time I would get to the 250 range. Like clockwork I would creep up and the nurse practitioner would ask if I wanted to try a medication to help and instantly I would take offense and lose the 15 pounds that crept back on, realizing along the way that I needed someone to doubt me, that I needed someone to not believe in me to get back on track. Through this entire journey I had told every person involved that I would be impressed if they could help me keep myself within a 15 pound range for over a year. This method came close but it was always 15 up and 15 down, cycling nearly every other month. This epiphany was met with curiosity and I eventually was referred to a mindful nutritionist that focused on talking through my binge eating issues and removing the good vs. bad labels that I placed on each food my entire life as it relates to food. It took some time to get on their calendar and by then I had risen to 270 pounds. I started this new part of the journey barely eating any real foods and over time I incorporated foods into my life, while removing the labels associated with them. My weight crept up, but I knew this was part of the plan as I judged less and shamed myself even less. I knew this as I had taken up zen meditation over the past few years and along the way I noticed a voice in my head, that voice used my mother’s nickname for me and whenever clothes started to tighten I would hear this admonition, and then one day I realized that I was saying these shame ridden insult out loud to myself. Over the course of a year I reduced my binge eating considerably and accepted more foods into my life. I also noticed that I would often tell my children that “I couldn’t be trusted” with his food and that food and over time I stopped doing these things, both to my benefit and their’s, as the parentification wasn’t good for either of us. Despite all of this I still continued to see the numbers climb, but didn’t weigh myself and felt better than I ever had at such a high weight. As I went past the 300 mark the guilt wasn’t there and the shame was lessened to a a degree I couldn’t imagine. Along this path I believed that the more self acceptance I could show, the less shame I would feel, and in turn I would eat only one hungry, at least eventually. My weight stabilized and I thought I was in my way,but my clothes kept getting tighter, bit by bit over time. At my next physical my doctor looked at my weight and immediately went to suggesting medication. As I tried to explain my work with my nutritionist he was dismissive and kept referring to the work I was doing as being on a diet, which I had refused to do. I was incorporating all foods in my life while not binging and although I physically didn’t feel great, I was proud of the mental place I was in. It was at this time that I began a 4-5 month dialogue between my doctor and my nutritionist. Talking about my goals, fears, and everything in between. I had become comfortable in a bigger body and accepting of it, however I was starting to notice the effect on my psyche, especially at work when I had to present and speak publicly or on camera. I came to the conclusion that I just wanted to be able to exercise regularly and buy clothes at a regular store, staying at XXL sizes or below. My nutritionist was along for the ride and while she never had a patient on Zepbound her approval meant the world to me as I had my doctor place the prescription in at the pharmacy. It was another 2 months before I asked them to fill it and I eventually had it delivered and in my fridge. I had been dismissive of everyone who had bariatric surgery and other interventions, for they didn’t have the “willpower” that I had to lose weight on command. Swallowing my pride I injected myself 11 days ago not knowing what to expect. The injection instead served as admission that I was no better than anyone else and that I could accept medical intervention for something that I just couldn’t solve in any way. After the injection I experienced a profound moment where I went to the pantry prior to a Zoom panel discussion that would have 400 people on it. In this moment I realized that I always came here prior to speaking publicly, it his time was different. I realized I wasn’t hungry and I also realized that my anxiety was lessened in a way far beyond my appetite and impulses. In the 11 days since I have come to terms with the fact that I suffered from anxiety deeper than I ever knew and this new medication made that completely clear. I now move forward hoping to stay in XXL or lower, but fearful that without this medication my anxiety will come back, with my impulsive eating right behind. I then come back to the fact that I will continue the meditation practice, exercise routine, and self acceptance tools that I’ve worked on diligently over the years to guide my path. I don’t know where this journey will take me, but I am glad that I was able to share this publicly for the first time here on Reddit

When I’m in stress my immune system goes wild! Searching for multiple ways to lower stress. So I’m wondering if anyone here.. - Tried a Nervus Vagus exercises for a while - Tried a Nervus Vagus stimulator device to relieve stress (and hence hopefully lower disease activity)?
If yes, how was it for you? Please share your experiences!

As a student navigating the ever-evolving landscape of academia, I've often found myself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of essays and assignments that pile up on my desk. It's during these moments of academic stress that I've turned to innovative solutions, one of which is the utilization of AI essay writers. In this article, I'll delve into the advantages and disadvantages of employing such technology, drawing from my own experiences and research.
First and foremost, the primary allure of AI essay writers is their ability to streamline the writing process. These programs are equipped with advanced algorithms capable of generating coherent and well-structured essays on a variety of topics in a matter of minutes. This can be a game-changer for students facing tight deadlines or struggling to articulate their thoughts effectively.
Furthermore, AI essay writers can serve as invaluable learning tools. By analyzing the essays produced by these programs, students can gain insights into effective writing techniques, formatting styles, and even subject matter expertise. It's akin to having a virtual writing mentor at your disposal, offering guidance and constructive feedback whenever needed.
Another notable advantage of AI essay writers is their potential to reduce academic pressure. For students juggling multiple responsibilities, such as part-time jobs or extracurricular activities, the ability to offload some of the writing workload to AI can alleviate stress and free up valuable time for other pursuits.
However, it's essential to acknowledge the limitations and potential drawbacks of relying too heavily on AI essay writers. One significant concern is the risk of plagiarism. While these programs are designed to generate original content, there's always a chance that the output could resemble existing material, leading to accusations of academic dishonesty.
Moreover, there's a danger of dependency on AI essay writers inhibiting students' own writing development. Writing is a skill that improves with practice, and by bypassing the effort required to craft essays manually, students may miss out on valuable learning opportunities.
Additionally, there's the issue of cost. While some AI essay writing services may offer free or low-cost options, others come with subscription fees or pay-per-use pricing models, which can quickly add up for budget-conscious students.
In conclusion, the decision to use an AI essay writer is a personal one, contingent on individual circumstances and preferences. While these tools undeniably offer convenience, efficiency, and potential learning benefits, they also pose risks such as plagiarism, stunted writing growth, and financial investment. As with any academic resource, it's crucial to approach AI essay writers with caution and use them judiciously, supplementing rather than replacing traditional writing practices.
For those considering utilizing such services, I would recommend exploring reputable platforms like SharkWriter.ai, which prioritize quality, originality, and user satisfaction. However, I urge fellow students to exercise diligence, maintain academic integrity, and view AI essay writers as supplements rather than substitutes for their own writing efforts.

I wrote mini reviews of each arc here, but because there are so damn many arcs, this ended up being a wall of text, despite me trying to keep them short. Feel free to skim or read only what interests you!
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The episodic nature of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla means that its narrative is split into chunks. These chunks take place across the many shires of medieval England and vary in terms of length, depth and, well, pointlessness. I thought ranking them would be a fun exercise — a competition of story arcs, all vying for best Viking mini-narrative.
It goes without saying, but I’m about to spoil the whole damn game, so read at your own risk.
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21. Wincestre
Wincestre is just another Lunden or Jorvik, accept with more Jesus, more King Aelfred and way less… anything worthwhile. This one was just a total nothing-burger of an experience. The fact that it comes so late in the narrative really hurts it, too, because by now you’ve experienced arcs that are a similar traditional Assassin’s Creed city-style that at least aren’t this bad. Aelfred’s turning on Eivor at the end also didn’t feel coherent, convincing or warranted to me. Big miss.
20. Lunden
The smaller, denser cities with multiple targets to track down and ‘social stealth’ options are certainly here to attempt to replicate the traditional AC experience, but Lunden fails to do so meaningfully, and even gets a huge points deduction for being misleading.
The arc is set up to feature twists with Stowe and Ercke (is one a traitor? Will your romancing of Stowe make things complicated?), but after their initial scenes they’re mitigated to what I would hardly even call side characters as Eivor unveils three randos as Order members, kills them and then leaves town. At least there was a cool boss sequence on the river?
19. Snotinghamscire
This arc sees you reunite with Hemmingr Jarl, his son Villi and his compatriot, Trygve. Eivor has an existing relationship with these characters, but the player doesn’t. As a result, nothing that happens with them lands meaningfully.
After Hemmingr passes, this arc boils down to running dull errands to prepare for the burial ceremony. Eivor chooses whether Villi or Trygve will succeed Hemmingr in the end, but the decision is very clear-cut and suggested to the player, lacking the nuance of the game’s other difficult decisions. This arc isn’t memorable, doesn’t concern the main quest, and feels like fluffy filler in the worst way.
18. Jorvik
Another version of the Lunden & Wincestre arcs, Jorvik is stronger than its competitors for presenting the Order members to your face before you deduce who they are. There was nothing shocking about their reveals, but each provided an interesting set piece to navigate during assassinations.
Problematically, the arc sets itself up for Eivor to accuse a traitor, only for her decision to not matter at all. You never get to act on your accusation at Yuletide — the Order member interrupts and attacks the feast no matter who you accuse.
17. Cent
The Cent arc sees Eivor team with Basim to track Fulke. It feels important and part of the main story, but it’s all for naught in the end — you come face-to-face with Fulke in what seems like a meaningful story moment, only for her to run away. Your reward is finding out Sigurd had his arm cut off.
This arc earns some points for getting Fulke screen time and tiptoeing the tightrope of Eivor and Basim’s rocky relationship believably, but certainly can’t be called good. This is because once you pull back the veil, you realize you never advanced the plot and were running in circles for nothing the entire time. At least the other “filler” arcs were forthright about their (lack of) connection to the main story.
16. Jotunheim
This arc has a compelling story to it — Odin running from his fate and bending over backwards to flee from it is interesting, his broken relationship with Loki should be a strong point for the arc, and his moral gray areas (sleeping with a Jotunn, betraying Tyr) certainly make for a complex character’s development.
It has the ingredients of a strong arc, but I just couldn’t shake the why am I doing this feeling I had the entire time. Everything in between Odin’s big moments is a fetch quest and I just felt like I was wasting my life.
This one is weird because on paper it feels like there’s a lot of substance here, but ultimately, I felt nothing while playing it besides contempt for having drank the potion in Ravensthorpe again.
15. Lincolnscire
Heir to the throne Hunwald is exiled from Lincoln and reaches out to Ravensthorpe for help. Eivor tracks down his sickly and dying father and then must cast the deciding vote for whom the new Ealdorman will be after his death.
The game wastes your time with one of Hunwald’s competitors, Aelfgar, (who is a dork) and paints the bishop as evil pretty clearly (he turns out to be an Order member). I suppose this arc could hit hard for someone who accidently put an Order member in charge. For that and for Hunwald at least having a strong drive and personality, this arc earns some marks.
14. Essex
Eivor is brought in to repair a marriage by separating husband and wife naturally without a public divorce. She reunites Ealdorman Birstan with his former lover and sets up a fake public kidnapping to whisk away his wife, Estrid.
I think many would rate this arc far lower than I have here because it is pure side mission nonsense — but for me, this arc stands strong on the backs of convincing and fun characters in Birstan and Estrid, as well as the tangled web of relationships between the two of them, Birstan’s son, and Rollo, Estrid’s former lover.
13. Ledecestrescire
Ledecestre sees the intros of Ivarr, Ubba and Ceowulf. You team up with the sons of Ragnar to help put Ceowulf’s father on the throne in Mercia.
Ledecestrescire earns points for strong, realized characters in the Ragnarsons and Ceowulf, a believable conflict with the Mercian king, as well as the arc’s biggest moment with killing or sparing Leofrith in Tamworth.
12. Asgard
Asgard looks pretty and hits hard when you first arrive. I appreciate Ubi for creating places like Atlantis and Asgard to run around and explore in.
Unfortunately, both felt supremely empty. However, watching Odin fight tooth and nail to run from his fate was satisfying and Loki is aptly deceptive and frustrating. The Builder gave the arc a nice wrinkle, too and climaxed with a nice boss fight.
I spent too much time tracking down tears, but I think if you look at just the main missions here, this is a solid experience in an incredible environment.
11. East Anglia
In this arc, Eivor works alongside Oswald to fend off violent Dane aggressors and claim his leadership role.
Oswald is honorable and likeable — watching him teach the Danes in his court that bravery can reveal itself in more nuanced ways rather than physically was powerful, and giving Eivor the decision to allow Oswald to fight his own battles or fight for him solidified the feeling of fathering Oswald through this arc into manhood and leadership.
I bought into this arc because I felt the story was touching and meaningful and the cast was strong.
10. Vinland
Nothing really happens here aside from hunting down Gorm Kjotveson, but the arc earns major points for how refreshing it is.
I played it late in the story when I was feeling quite a bit of fatigue towards the game and everything about Vinland just landed for me, giving me new energy to actually enjoy what I was doing.
The new landscape is insanely gorgeous and fun to navigate. The stripping down of Eivor’s equipment essentially forces you to start from scratch — but it really makes the four stealth encounters stronger; you have to approach them differently due to being unarmed and unarmored.
The whole thing was a little bit of a reset button for the entire experience of Valhalla and it sorely needed it.
9. Suthsexe
Suthsexe is the meeting with Guthrum and the rising action leading up to defeating Fulke.
The arc is fun, feels impactful as well as meaningful and sees you reunite with all the old friends you’ve made up to this point. Fighting alongside Soma and others was a big positive for me. Storming Fulke’s fort at least included some different mechanics than many forts up to this point, so it felt fresh. Her boss fight in the darkness of the crypts was exceptional, as was her confession sequence.
This arc was mostly good, satisfying fun the whole way through, but didn’t include too much intrigue as the ones ranked above it did.
8. Rygjafylke
Look, I’ll be honest. I’m writing this particular paragraph after completing the game and this opening section was so long ago that I don’t have a great memory of it.
What I do know is that Valhalla opened strongly. I found it all pretty compelling. I remember it being atmospheric, believable and driven by strong characters like Sigurd, Varin, Haytham, Basim and Kyotve. I was bought-in very early and Rygjafylke really got the game off to a strong start.
7. Hamtunscire & Epilogue
Aelfred screen time is a good thing, and this arc earns marks for his badassery in the face of Guthrum, as well as his manipulation of the Dane army. Ally deaths in the battle at Chepeham give the arc meaningful stakes and ratchet up the tension. This arc is brief and straightforward — there’s not much story to it since it’s really just war throughout the whole thing.
Afterwards, Eivor tracks down the final member of the Order and confronts him in a touching sequence over some burnt bread in a small swampy town in the middle of nowhere. It’s a humble conclusion for Aelfred and the swirling epic that was AC: Valhalla.
6. Hordafylke
The return to Norway contains two things: Eivor & Sigurd finding closure with Sigurd’s father, and the two locating “Yggdrasil.”
I quite enjoyed the pit stop with Sigurd’s father, and the entire Yggdrasil sequence was incredibly interesting. It was a refreshing change of pace from what you’ve been doing for the past 100 hours and featured a nice boss fight at the end. No matter which ending you get, the conversation with Sigurd after the dust settles is impactful and weighty.
5. Oxenefordscire
Finally reunited with Sigurd, this is the arc we learn of his obsession with his ancestry and true nature. Eivor’s reaction of discomfort and distrust towards Sigurd’s change is honest and relatable and she must juggle relations between Sigurd and the Thane they are working to put in charge, Gaedric.
Negotiations with King Aelfred are complex and a late intervention from Fulke reveals her true allegiance to the Order and puts Sigurd in enemy hands.
This arc moves the plot along moreso than the last 400 hours you’ve been playing the game, while also establishing and reinterpreting Eivor’s relations with the cast in meaningful ways. It ratchets up the tension of the main quest and narrative, which up to this point had been lagging behind due to a breadth of shire arcs.
4. Glowecestrecire
I’m so surprised to see myself rank this so high — after the first third of the arc, I was considering putting it in dead last. I felt Gunnar’s fiancé’s unintelligible dialogue, the trick-or-treating, the druid encounter, and Eivor’s 400th drunken night of debauchery to be a disrespectful waste of my time this deep (over 80 hours) into the game.
But then the arc turned, with two solid stealth encounters and a stellar boss fight. Navigating the Aelfwood was a gorgeous thrill and the confrontation with Modran is atmospheric and a fantastically fresh take on the typical Valhalla boss or mini boss fight.
When I decided to focus-up on the story and let the Celtic and Welsh mythos shine, the arc became a terrestrial fever dream of satisfying magic, intrigue and character interactions.
3. Grantebridgescire
Eivor looks to ally with Soma, the leader of Grantebridge, but her town’s just been sacked from the inside by a traitor. After saving her three companions in the thick river bogs, you take back Grantebridge and then embark on an investigation to discover the rat.
Its the investigation that makes the whole arc. It has a slew of clues, nuance and red herrings to consider. One of its strengths is how open ended the investigation is — you can follow the quest markers, but talking to the town’s people and hunting down the yellow-painted ship is up to you (at least I think, I played on the most ‘difficult’ exploration setting).
This arc earns big points because the investigation matters — you have to tell Soma to kill one of her closest friends and then watch her do it, living with your right or wrong decision.
2. Eurvicscire
Finally meeting the third of the famed Ragnarson’s, Eivor finds Halfdan a paranoid soul, waxing poetic about friendship and treason. The arc balances the two on a blade’s edge to tremendous effect.
Halfdan believes he has a traitor in his midst and the main culprit is his right-hand man, Faravid.
Faravid's dialogue is expertly written to feign allegiance to Halfdan, but never reveal too much of his true nature. Eivor’s wavering relationship and trust with him are complex and the Wolf-Kissed can lie to both him and Halfdan depending on dialogue choice. Every decision feels like it carries weight. It’s this ambiguity that makes the arc compelling and gives the decisions importance.
This arc could feel disconnected (it’s not part of the main plot and Halfdan doesn’t appear in the late game, no matter your decision) and thus appear as pointless fluff, but I won’t fault it for that. As a self-contained story, this was flat-out interesting and kept me in anticipation of the next reveal or twist. Imagery and foreshadowing, red-herrings, and great atmosphere all make for an engaging and compelling experience. I only wish every shire arc could’ve reached these heights.
1. Sciropscire
Sciropescire’s strengths come somewhat from the arcs that came before it, as it sees Eivor quickly reunited and working with Ivarr and Ceowulf. Your preexisting relationship with both gives this arc an advantage over others where it doesn’t have to establish too much all at once, as well as it starting off with you already having a personal connection of some sort with the main cast. Still, each set piece here is strong enough on its own –

1. Eivor & co. join to negotiate peace with King Rhodri. She can offer 600 silver to whomever she chooses to try and quell the peace talks. Each option is mired in obscurity, has obvious pros and cons, and plenty of uncertainty. It felt impactful, difficult and nuanced.
2. After peace talks go sour with Ivarr’s outburst, Eivor, Ivarr and Ceowulf sack a village under Rhodri’s control. It’s brutal and takes a long time to burn (on purpose!). You then fight a huge party of Rhodri’s men. The whole scene feels vile, over the top and harsh (on purpose!).
3. The twist is that Ivarr kills Ceowulf in cold blood to earn himself the opportunity to get his own revenge on Rhodri — only revealed after you sack Rhodri’s fort (after reaching peace with him). A brutal blood eagle from Ivarr and the game’s best boss fight ensue.

It’s close between the top 3, but this is the best arc in the game, for me.
For once, the game forces you to face the trail of bloodshed and destruction your ‘pacifying’ of England has left in your wake. Additionally, the ambiguous decision-making process in negotiating peace, the brutal village burning sequence, the tangled web of Ivarr’s relationships and motivations, the twists of the peaceful alliance and Rhodri’s fate, and finally, the Ivarr boss fight are just too good all in tandem to not take first place.
--
I’m conflicted looking back on these.
There’s many that feel even more empty than I remember them being now that I draft them as text. However, a surprising number of highly-rated arcs aren’t actually part of the main quest.
Ultimately, I’m left bewildered at the scale and scope of the epic that this game took me on. I was so fatigued by the end of it, but in hindsight so happy I completed it.

First, a while back I posted about hanging out with a guy (M33) whose acquaintance had warned me that he’s not to be trusted nor taken seriously. I’ve officially been hanging other with him for over a month now. I had initially decided to cut things off with him but we ended up working out together and then I thought about asking him what he wants but the words of the acquaintance ringed loud in my head that I figured WTF let me just date other people and keep him around as a friend.
Well… we have spent more time together and the more time we spend, the more I discovered his softer side. For example: one of the things that surprised me about him is that he is a man of his word and I’ve seen how much taking care of me when I visit his apartment which seems to make him happy.
Last week I slept at his place because we were doing some home exercises and honestly I have gotten comfortable in that if I go there; I’ll spend the night on his couch. Anyways, I was wearing white leggings that got dirty, the next day he left me alone in his apartment and I ended up wearing his clothes when leaving; I left him a note and thought he would be annoyed by the whole thing but instead he text “please take good care of my favourite shorts ;)”
Anyways, I have never been so confused by a person’s behaviour before and have somewhat come to realize that he may appear to be not serious about women because he doesn’t want to communicate or have any intense feelings; looks like his tough act is a cover because his behaviour is of such a softie.
The more time I spend with him the more I like him. Now I don’t know if I should let my guard down and see what happens or if I should just continue being just friendly and casual with him.
Second thing is about dating multiple people. How do you guys separate your feelings? I went on a date with a very sweet guy(M37) yesterday and it was a good date but I noticed how much this person made me think about M33 even though him and I are not dating. When M33 and I met, I had something with M40 and I felt so guilty the first time I slept over at M33’s place because it felt disloyal and now I feel like M37 is awesome but doesn’t challenge me intellectually as much as M33 does and is not as ambitious :( but at least he knows what he wants.

My dad is the only person I know like this. Perhaps it is due to his upbringing. He grew up in a very small little town in south eastern Germany. They didn’t have much money, so there was not a TV. They had a radio. He immigrated to the US in 1985. He does not watch movies or TV at all. He says he simply does not find them entertaining, he finds them all “stupid” or “boring”. He enjoys gardening, exercising, cooking, and reading. He is also a very talented musician, and can play multiple instruments. But he has absolutely never sat through a movie he enjoyed.

WBD loses the NBA rights, and for this exercise, the stock goes down a bit more to around $6. An activist comes in to break up the growth business WB, HBO, Max, and Discovery production from the cable ad supported business.
Perhaps they sell the cable assets to a private buyer or merge it with CBS/Viacom assets.
New WBD would be a growth business and trade at a better multiple. While the ad supported cable is profitable, it can be managed as it declines.

Greetings,
We have updated our Course Schedule with classes out to September, 2024.
Upcoming Classes Include:

New Jersey Permit To Carry (PTC) Qualification

• Saturday, May 25, 2024
• 9:00 AM 1:00 PM
• Indian Mills Deer Club (map)

The New Jersey Permit To Carry (PTC) Qualification course is an instructor-led and live-fire shooting qualification course intended to equip you with the training and documentation necessary to apply for your New Jersey Concealed Carry Permit.
UPDATE: This course meets the CCARE Protocol requirements for NJ Concealed Carry as published by the NJSP (September, 2023).
Course Fee is $150.00

NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting

• Saturday, May 25, 2024
• 1:30 PM 6:30 PM
• Indian Mills Deer Club (map)

The NRA Basics of Pistol Course (Instructor-Led) introduces students to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for owning and using a pistol safely.
Note: IF you wish to take this class AND the NJ Permit To Carry Qual this same day, May 25th, you may wait to shoot the NJ PTC Qual until AFTER the Basic Pistol Class is over (shoot the qual at the end of the full day).
In this course we will cover basic firearms safety, fundamentals of pistol shooting (aiming, grip, stance & trigger control), ammunition components, malfunctions, and we will review the core elements of modern pistols & revolvers. We will practice loading and unloading firearms safely. We will cover how to recognize and clear malfunctions. We will discuss and demonstrate proper firearm maintenance and selection criteria.
Then we’ll head out to the range and put these principles in action.
Course Fee is $165.00

Running & Gunning - May 2024 - RIFLES

• Friday, May 31, 2024
• 9:00 AM 3:00 PM
• Jersey Devil Outfitters (map)

By Invitation Only
Each month we will host a Running & Gunning Training day. This 6 hour session will continuously evolve and no two sessions will be the same.
Each session will be focused on pistol, rifle, shotgun or a combination of disciplines.
These sessions will be all range time, with high round counts.
We will focus on balancing speed and accuracy, multiple targets, multiple distances, dynamic movements, obstacles, steel targets, timed exercises/drills, performance-based shooting, and much more.
Invited Ironsights Alumni will be asked to bring their own training drills to share/use in addition to what the instructor provides.
Course Fee: $150.00

NRA Basic CCW

• Saturday, June 1, 2024
• 8:00 AM 2:00 PM
• Indian Mills Deer Club (map)

Introduce the students to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense. This course focuses on the psychological, emotional, social, and physical needs of preparing to carry, carrying & using a firearm for self-defense, and how to manage the aftermath of a self-defense encounter. Significant and dynamic range time included.
Course Fee is $185.00

NRA Certified CCW Instructor

• Sat, Jun 1, 20242:00 PM Sun, Jun 2, 20246:00 PM
• Indian Mills Deer Club (map)

The NRA Certified Pistol Instructor Course is intended to teach the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to conduct the NRA Basic Pistol Course. Following the completion of this course, you will become a Certified NRA CCW Instructor.
Course Fee is $400.00

Beyond the Basics - Pistol Level I

• Saturday, June 15, 2024
• 9:00 AM 3:00 PM
• Jersey Devil Outfitters (map)

The Beyond the Basics (BtB) series is the natural progression for shooters once you have completed the NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting Course. In the BtB - Pistol Level I course, we focus on refining your pistol handling skills, building muscle memory, honing your shooting accuracy, and we take you to the next level of firearms training…beyond the basics.
This course is 100% range time with copious amounts of hands-on instruction.
Course Fee is $185.00
AND MORE!
Hope to see you out there on the range!

The American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War jointly released a report，China's Roadmap to Peaceful Reunification.
"From Coercion to Surrender, How China Can Conquer Others Without Fighting."

Mid 2024
After Lai Qingde took office, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council severely condemned him.
Several People's Liberation Army ships passed through Taiwan's contiguous zone in an unannounced exercise.
The Rocket Force regularly conducts missile tests over and around Taiwan.
Planes of the Chinese Air Force enter the air defense identification zone every day and begin to frequently approach the Taiwan contiguous zone.
The first article on the unofficial "peace platform" was published by a Chinese scholar, trying to build on the Fujian-Taiwan economic integration plan.
End of 2024
Xi Jinping said in a speech that "the time has come to solve the Taiwan issue."
High-profile Chinese civilian and People's Liberation Army scholars have commented proposing an unofficial cross-strait "peace framework."
China has stepped up its global information operations and accused the United States of trying to provoke a military conflict over Taiwan.
Early 2025
The National People's Congress revised the 2005 Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China to establish strict but unclear penalties for individuals who engage in separatist behavior.
The People's Liberation Army has begun higher-intensity drills that coincide with regular closures of air and sea areas around Taiwan.
The Coast Guard, with the support of the Navy, began to conduct ship inspections of cargo ships heading to Taiwan
Mid 2025
Chinese customs announced a ban on specific products imported from Taiwan.
The ministries of foreign affairs and commerce met with neighboring governments in Asia to reassure them of the escalating threat across the region and to re-emphasize trade and investment ties.
End of 2025
The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission directed key Chinese state-owned enterprises to stockpile essential goods in anticipation of potential U.S.-led containment efforts.
China has threatened to sanction U.S. companies in Taiwan that may have ties to the defense industry.
Early 2026
China has successfully normalized shipping inspections and stepped up PLA activity in the contiguous zone, with PLAAF bombers now regularly flying around Taiwan.
The People's Liberation Army regularly conducts missile flights over Taiwan's territory, including ballistic missiles that passed through Taiwan's airspace for the first time (in fact, they have already passed through it).
The ministries of foreign affairs and commerce announced trade negotiations with the United States.
Mid 2026
China imposed previously threatened sanctions on U.S. companies selling products with potential defense uses in Taiwan.
Taiwanese authorities have reported a significant increase in the frequency of DDoS and ransomware attacks on their networks.
Chinese customs have imposed broader restrictions on multinational companies doing business in Taiwan.
Taiwan's anti-China hawks and some other politicians have received death threats from Taiwanese organized criminals.
End of 2026
For the first time, Chinese elites have directly commented on the proposed unofficial "peace framework". Some prominent Taiwanese commentators have also begun to raise objections.
The Rocket Force conducts missile firing exercises in waters outside the second island chain and conducts follow-up exercises regularly.
China announced a long-term "rotational deployment" of People's Liberation Army personnel to the Solomon Islands.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Front Work Department led a regional propaganda campaign condemning "Japan's militarization of the Ryukyu Islands".
North Korea claims it has successfully developed technology to miniaturize nuclear warheads that can equip its longest-range missiles. Previously, seismic readings suggested it was an underground nuclear test (old news).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued vague threats to countries around the world, warning governments to avoid alliances with Taiwan and the United States.
Early 2027
The People's Liberation Army has conducted an even more brazen air and sea blockade while targeting radar on some Taiwanese military platforms.
Coast guards sunk and occasionally boarded ships that resisted inspections.
Taiwanese authorities reported a cyber attack on an LNG terminal, and the Chinese government pressured LNG producers to cancel contracts with Taiwanese companies.
Taiwanese companies face growing regulatory hurdles and unannounced restrictions in mainland China, hampering their business.
The Ministry of Commerce announced the suspension of ECFA.
North Korea launched multiple sets of long-range missiles over Japan.
Groups affiliated with the United Front Work Department and the Ministry of National Security have used China's claims that the Ryukyu Islands are militarized to encourage local Japanese residents to protest against Japanese and U.S. troops stationed there.
The Rocket Force now joins the Navy and Air Force in coordinated joint long-range missile exercises to strike simulated targets beyond the second island chain.
Bomb threats disrupt Taipei's MRT system.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel warning for Japan following the anti-China violence at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
The United States and China announced the signing of a major trade deal.
Taiwanese authorities reported that a chemical factory in Tainan was damaged by unknown saboteurs.
Mid 2027
Large-scale ransomware attacks have been reported across major economic sectors in Taiwan.
The People's Liberation Army Air Force forced a Taiwanese cargo plane to land in China and detained the crew.
China and its allies have vetoed a U.N. resolution condemning pressure on Taiwan.
The People's Liberation Army's electronic warfare operations often interfere with high-level Taiwan-U.S. communications.
Rumors circulated on Taiwanese social media about Taiwanese officials formulating a wartime escape plan.
Chinese-influenced Taiwanese media spread rumors that Beijing would introduce a new model of unification.
China-influenced Taiwanese media amplified a Taiwanese business leader and political commentator's proposals on how to prevent further escalation.
Intrusions by Chinese air and maritime military platforms regularly reach Taiwan's 12-nautical-mile border, while Rocket Force missiles frequently intrude into Taiwan's airspace during tests and exercises.
A joint exercise between the Chinese navy and a regional partner entered the Taiwan contiguous zone.
Swarms of drones from China frequently appear over Kinmen and Matsu.
The People's Liberation Army and Coast Guard began a close blockade of Taiping Island in the Nansha Islands and authorized the use of lethal force to implement the blockade.
End of 2027
Several North Korean stray bullets hit a South Korean navy patrol ship near the Northern Limit Line near Seoul.
China sanctions senior Japanese officials who meet directly with Taiwanese officials.
Chinese media across Asia spread rumors that Japan's prime minister had launched a program to develop nuclear weapons.
The United Front Work Department and the Ministry of National Security secretly use violence to attack Taiwanese politicians and others who use proxy organizations.
The People's Liberation Army coordinated a missile attack on Pengjia Island, killing and injuring dozens of Taiwan Coast Patrol officers.
China’s cyberattacks and sabotage on Taiwan have targeted critical infrastructure including water, electricity, sewer and food distribution networks.
Chinese affiliates in Taiwan have spread rumors that Taiwan's president is considering developing nuclear weapons.
The United States' refusal to respond forcefully to China's attack on Peng Jiayu has seriously damaged U.S.-Taiwan relations, while China has stepped up information operations targeting the American public.
A cyberattack led by the Strategic Support Force (which no longer exists) caused Taiwan’s early warning system to broadcast false missile warnings to the Taiwanese public.
China-owned Taiwanese media openly supports a "peace framework" with China.

Countermeasures proposed by think tanks against this roadmap:

1. The US does not establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but treats Taiwan as a sovereign country and safeguards all Taiwan's sovereignty.
   
2. The U.S. military wears civilian clothes, enters Taiwan as tourists, and then joins the Taiwan military to perform tasks.
   
3. The U.S. military conducts regular sea and air patrols in the Taiwan Strait and conducts joint exercises with the Taiwan military to prevent Taiwan from being blocked.
   
4. Taiwan has strengthened its network security and stockpiled disaster relief and survival supplies and equipment to prevent hacker attacks, water and power outages, network interruptions, and air traffic (road) blockades.
   
5. Taiwan has established its own Merchant Fleet to prevent foreign merchant ships from going to Taiwan for fear of mainland sanctions.
   
6. The US and Taiwan are strengthening cognitive operations globally and on the island to make the world support Taiwan independence and not dare to abandon Taiwan, and to make the island dare not surrender.
   

Read the full report.

I'm 30 and a few years ago I ended up with the endocrinologist after a , not just low, but abnormally low T blood test. The endo couldn't explain why my T was so low, every other test said I was perfectly healthy so she kept doing T blood tests until she got one that was some way normal and settled on that one.
In the end her conclusion was that she was sceptical of the super low T (I don't know the numbers) blood tests and was dismissing them. The final blood test she discharged me on was "quite low for my age but not abnormal". She went on to explain that what she thinks is happening is that my T is low for my age but not abnormal due to poor lifestyle, an assumption not based in realty but there was no arguing with her on that.
She went on to "Promise" that with some weight loss and exercise my T would come back up to where it should be for my age. I really took this to heart and got really into mountain biking so much so i got my resting heart rate down into the V low 50s, my libido however remained in the toilet.
A couple of years went by and one night during a heat wave I found myself sitting up out of a deep sleep, my heart racing, gasping for air. It happened multiple times that night and happened again the next two nights. I felt this had happened before but I never paid much mind to it but this time I got worried and did some googling and It sounded like textbook sleep apnea. After realising I wasn't going to die from it, I almost moved on and forgot about it, but at some point a light bulb went off and i wondered if this affect testosterone. After some more googling I had my answer, I finally knew what was causing my low T.
About 6 weeks ago I had a watchpat home sleep test done which returned an AHI of 18 with desaturations down into the low 80's. Two weeks ago the nurse/rep called out and set me up on a Lowenstein Smart Max, my prescribed pressure is 5-14cm. The first two nights were a struggle, I tapped out both nights, the third night something seemed to click and I slept the whole night. I've slept every night since with an AHI of 0, My snoring has pretty much stopped, I have a pulse oximeter and the difference in my o2 is insane!
Despite all this my libido is still non existent. I know it's only been two weeks but I've taken to the treatment so well with no tolerance issues. If it hasn't improved by now I don't think it will and TRT is just not an option at my age, I don't want to end up sterile. I can't understand how it can work so well for every other symptom but not this.
Can anyone offer any advice?

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himself, hip, hire, his, historic, historical, history, hit, hold, hole, holiday, holy, home, homeless, honest, honey, honor, hope, horizon, horror, horse, hospital, host, hot, hotel, hour, house, household, housing, how, however, huge, human, humor, hundred, hungry, hunter, hunting, hurt, husband, hypothesis, ice, idea, ideal, identification, identify, identity, ignore, ill, illegal, illness, illustrate, image, imagination, imagine, immediate, immediately, immigrant, immigration, impact, implement, implication, imply, importance, important, impose, impossible, impress, impression, impressive, improve, improvement, incentive, incident, include, including, income, incorporate, increase, increased, increasingly, incredible, indeed, independence, independent, index, indicate, indication, individual, industrial, industry, infant, infection, inflation, influence, inform, information, ingredient, initial, initially, initiative, injury, inner, innocent, inquiry, inside, insight, insist, inspire, install, instance, instead, institute, institution, institutional, instruction, instructor, instrument, insurance, intellectual, intelligence, intend, intense, intensity, intention, interaction, interest, interested, interesting, internal, international, Internet, interpret, interpretation, intervention, interview, introduce, introduction, invasion, invest, investigation, investigator, investment, investor, invite, involve, involved, involvement, Iraqi, Irish, iron, Islamic, island, Israeli, issue, it, Italian, item, its, itself, jacket, jail, Japanese, jet, Jew, Jewish, job, join, joint, joke, journal, journalist, journey, joy, judge, judgment, juice, jump, junior, jury, just, justice, justify, keep, key, kick, kid, kill, killer, killing, kind, king, kiss, kitchen, knee, knife, knock, know, knowledge, lab, label, labor, laboratory, lack, lady, lake, land, landscape, language, lap, large, largely, last, late, later, Latin, latter, laugh, launch, law, lawsuit, lawyer, lay, layer, lead, leader, leadership, leading, leaf, league, lean, learn, learning, least, leather, leave, left, leg, legacy, legal, legend, legislation, legislative, legislator, legitimate, lemon, length, less, lesson, let, letter, level, liberal, library, license, lie, life, lifestyle, lifetime, lift, light, like, likely, limit, limitation, limited, line, link, lip, list, listen, literary, literature, little, live, living, load, loan, local, locate, location, lock, long, long-term, look, loose, lose, loss, lost, lot, lots, loud, love, lovely, lover, low, lower, luck, lucky, lunch, luxury, machine, mad, magazine, mail, main, mainly, maintain, maintenance, major, majority, make, maker, makeup, male, mall, man, manage, management, manager, manner, manufacturer, manufacturing, many, map, margin, mark, market, marketing, marriage, married, marry, mask, mass, massive, master, match, material, math, matter, may, maybe, mayor, me, meal, mean, meaning, meanwhile, measure, measurement, meat, mechanism, media, medical, medication, medicine, medium, meet, meeting, member, membership, memory, mental, mention, menu, mere, merely, mess, message, metal, meter, method, Mexican, middle, might, military, milk, million, mind, mine, minister, minor, minority, minute, miracle, mirror, miss, missile, mission, mistake, mix, mixture, mm-hmm, mode, model, moderate, modern, modest, mom, moment, money, monitor, month, mood, moon, moral, more, moreover, morning, mortgage, most, mostly, mother, motion, motivation, motor, mountain, mouse, mouth, move, movement, movie, Mr, Mrs, Ms, much, multiple, murder, muscle, museum, music, musical, musician, Muslim, must, mutual, my, myself, mystery, myth, naked, name, narrative, narrow, nation, national, native, natural, naturally, nature, near, nearby, nearly, necessarily, necessary, neck, need, negative, negotiate, negotiation, neighbor, neighborhood, neither, nerve, nervous, net, network, never, nevertheless, new, newly, news, newspaper, next, nice, night, nine, no, nobody, nod, noise, nomination, nominee, none, nonetheless, nor, normal, normally, north, northern, nose, not, note, nothing, notice, notion, novel, now, nowhere, nuclear, number, numerous, nurse, nut, object, objective, obligation, observation, observe, observer, obtain, obvious, obviously, occasion, occasionally, occupation, occupy, occur, ocean, odd, odds, of, off, offense, offensive, offer, office, officer, official, often, oh, oil, okay, old, Olympic, on, once, one, ongoing, onion, online, only, onto, open, opening, operate, operating, operation, operator, opinion, opponent, opportunity, oppose, opposed, opposite, opposition, option, or, orange, order, ordinary, organic, organization, organize, orientation, origin, original, originally, other, others, otherwise, ought, our, ours, ourselves, out, outcome, outside, oven, over, overall, overcome, overlook, owe, own, owner, pace, pack, package, page, pain, painful, paint, painter, painting, pair, pale, Palestinian, palm, pan, panel, panic, pant, paper, paragraph, parent, park, parking, part, participant, participate, participation, particle, particular, particularly, partly, partner, partnership, party, pass, passage, passenger, passion, past, patch, path, patient, pattern, pause, pay, payment, PC, peace, peak, peer, pen, penalty, people, pepper, per, perceive, percentage, perception, perfect, perfectly, perform, performance, perhaps, period, permanent, permission, permit, person, personal, personality, personally, personnel, perspective, persuade, pet, phase, phenomenon, philosophy, phone, photo, photographer, phrase, physical, physically, physician, piano, pick, picture, pie, piece, pile, pilot, pine, pink, pipe, pitch, place, plan, plane, planet, planning, plant, plastic, plate, platform, play, player, please, pleasure, plenty, plot, plus, PM, pocket, poem, poet, poetry, point, police, policy, political, politically, politician, politics, poll, pollution, pool, poor, pop, popular, population, porch, port, portion, portrait, portray, pose, position, positive, possess, possession, possibility, possible, possibly, post, pot, potato, potential, potentially, pound, pour, poverty, powder, power, powerful, practical, practice, prayer, preach, precisely, predict, prediction, prefer, preference, pregnancy, pregnant, preparation, prepare, prescription, presence, present, presentation, preserve, president, presidential, press, pressure, pretend, pretty, prevent, previous, previously, price, pride, priest, primarily, primary, prime, principal, principle, print, prior, priority, prison, prisoner, privacy, private, probably, problem, procedure, proceed, process, processing, processor, proclaim, produce, producer, product, production, profession, professional, professor, profile, profit, program, progress, progressive, project, prominent, promise, promote, prompt, proof, proper, properly, property, proportion, proposal, propose, prosecutor, prospect, protect, protection, protein, protest, proud, prove, provide, provider, province, provision, psychological, psychology, public, publication, publicity, publish, publisher, pull, punishment, purchase, pure, purpose, pursue, push, put, qualify, quality, quarter, quarterback, quarterly, queen, quest, question, quick, quickly, quiet, quietly, quit, quite, quote, race, racial, radiation, radical, radio, rail, rain, raise, range, rank, rapid, rapidly, rare, rarely, rate, rather, rating, ratio, raw, reach, react, reaction, reader, reading, ready, real, reality, realize, really, reason, reasonable, recall, receive, recent, recently, reception, recipe, recipient, recognition, recognize, recommend, recommendation, record, recording, recover, recovery, recruit, red, reduce, reduction, refer, reference, reflect, reflection, reform, refugee, refuse, regard, regarding, regardless, regime, region, regional, register, regular, regularly, regulate, regulation, regulator, reinforce, reject, relate, relation, relationship, relative, relatively, relax, release, relevant, relief, religion, religious, rely, remain, remaining, remarkable, remember, remind, remote, remove, repeat, repeatedly, replace, replacement, reply, report, reporter, represent, representation, representative, Republican, reputation, request, require, requirement, research, researcher, resemble, reservation, resident, residential, resign, resist, resistance, resolution, resolve, resort, resource, respect, respond, response, responsibility, responsible, rest, restaurant, restore, restriction, result, retain, retire, retirement, return, reveal, revenue, review, revolution, rhythm, rice, rich, rid, ride, rifle, right, ring, rise, risk, river, road, rock, role, roll, romantic, roof, room, root, rope, rose, rough, roughly, round, route, routine, row, rub, rubber, rude, ruin, rule, run, running, rural, rush, Russian, sacred, sad, safe, safety, sake, salad, salary, sale, sales, salt, same, sample, sanction, sand, satellite, satisfaction, satisfied, satisfy, sauce, save, saving, say, scale, scandal, scare, scatter, scenario, scene, schedule, scheme, scholar, scholarship, school, science, scientific, scientist, scope, score, scream, screen, script, sea, search, season, seat, second, secondary, secret, secretary, section, sector, secure, security, see, seed, seek, seem, segment, seize, select, selection, self, sell, Senate, senator, send, senior, sense, sensitive, sentence, separate, sequence, series, serious, seriously, servant, serve, service, session, set, setting, settle, settlement, seven, several, severe, sex, sexual, shade, shadow, shake, shall, shallow, shape, share, sharp, she, sheet, shelf, shell, shelter, shift, shine, ship, shirt, shock, shoe, shoot, shooting, shop, shopping, short, shortly, shot, should, shoulder, shout, show, shower, shrug, shut, shy, sibling, sick, side, sigh, sight, sign, signal, significant, significantly, silence, silent, silver, similar, similarly, simple, simply, sin, since, sing, singer, single, sink, sir, sister, sit, site, situation, six, size, ski, skill, skin, skirt, sky, slave, sleep, slice, slide, slight, slightly, slip, slow, slowly, small, smart, smell, smile, smoke, smooth, snap, snow, so, so-called, soccer, social, society, soft, software, soil, solar, soldier, sole, solid, solution, solve, some, somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometimes, somewhat, somewhere, son, song, soon, sophisticated, sorry, sort, soul, sound, soup, source, south, southern, Soviet, space, Spanish, speak, speaker, special, specialist, species, specific, specifically, specify, speech, speed, spend, spending, spin, spirit, spiritual, split, spoil, sponsor, sport, spot, spray, spread, spring, square, squeeze, stability, stable, staff, stage, stain, stair, stake, stand, standard, standing, star, stare, start, state, statement, station, statistical, status, stay, steady, steal, steel, steep, stem, step, stick, still, stimulate, stimulus, stir, stock, stomach, stone, stop, storage, store, storm, story, straight, strange, stranger, strategic, strategy, stream, street, strength, strengthen, stress, stretch, strike, string, strip, stroke, strong, strongly, structural, structure, struggle, student, studio, study, stuff, stupid, style, subject, submit, subsequent, substance, substantial, substitute, succeed, success, successful, successfully, such, sudden, suddenly, sue, suffer, sufficient, sugar, suggest, suggestion, suicide, suit, summer, summit, sun, super, supply, support, supporter, suppose, supposed, Supreme, sure, surely, surface, surgery, surprise, surprised, surprising, surprisingly, surround, survey, survival, survive, survivor, suspect, sustain, swear, sweep, sweet, swim, swing, switch, symbol, symptom, system, table, tactic, tail, take, tale, talent, talk, tall, tank, tap, tape, target, task, taste, tax, taxi, tea, teach, teacher, teaching, team, tear, technical, technique, technology, teen, teenager, telephone, telescope, television, tell, temperature, temporary, ten, tend, tendency, tennis, tension, tent, term, terms, terrible, territory, terror, terrorist, test, testimony, testing, text, than, thank, thanks, that, the, theater, their, them, theme, themselves, then, theory, therapy, there, therefore, these, they, thick, thin, thing, think, thinking, third, thirty, this, those, though, thought, thousand, threat, threaten, three, throat, through, throughout, throw, thus, ticket, tie, tight, time, tiny, tip, tire, tissue, title, to, tobacco, today, toe, together, toilet, token, tolerate, tomato, tomorrow, tone, tongue, tonight, too, tool, tooth, top, topic, toss, total, totally, touch, tough, tour, tourist, tournament, toward, towards, tower, town, toy, trace, track, trade, tradition, traditional, traffic, tragedy, trail, train, training, transfer, transform, transformation, transition, translate, translation, transmission, transmit, transport, transportation, travel, treat, treatment, treaty, tree, tremendous, trend, trial, tribe, trick, trip, troop, trouble, truck, true, truly, trust, truth, try, tube, tunnel, turn, TV, twelve, twenty, twice, twin, two, type, typical, typically, ugly, ultimate, ultimately, unable, uncle, undergo, understand, understanding, unfortunately, uniform, union, unique, unit, United, universal, universe, university, unknown, unless, unlike, until, unusual, up, upon, upper, urban, urge, us, use, used, useful, user, usual, usually, utility, utilize, vacation, valley, valuable, value, variable, variation, variety, various, vary, vast, vegetable, vehicle, venture, version, versus, very, vessel, veteran, via, victim, victory, video, view, viewer, village, violate, violation, violence, violent, virtually, virtue, virus, visibility, visible, vision, visit, visitor, visual, vital, voice, volume, voluntary, volunteer, vote, voter, voting, wage, wait, wake, walk, wall, wander, want, war, warm, warn, warning, wash, waste, watch, water, wave, way, we, weak, weakness, wealth, wealthy, weapon, wear, weather, web, website, wedding, week, weekend, weekly, weigh, weight, welcome, welfare, well, west, western, wet, what, whatever, wheel, when, whenever, where, whereas, whether, which, while, whisper, white, who, whole, whom, whose, why, wide, widely, widespread, wife, wild, wildlife, will, willing, win, wind, window, wine, wing, winner, winter, wipe, wire, wisdom, wise, wish, with, withdraw, within, without, witness, woman, wonder, wonderful, wood, wooden, word, work, worker, working, workout, workplace, works, workshop, world, worried, worry, worth, would, wound, wrap, write, writer, writing, wrong, yard, yeah, year, yell, yellow, yes, yesterday, yet, yield, you, young, your, yours, yourself, youth, zone.

Hi,
So yesterday i saw completely new therapist which seemed very professional and person who takes every situation seriously and with right attitude. She even gave me mental exercises/homework to do.
BUT still i feel no matter how hard i try and want to get better i always end up situation all is lost and dissapearing from this planet is only right choice. I feel bad that the Therapist expects me to work together with him, but everything is going to end up being that i have to say in therapy that none of the exercises or your help have helped. In the end, I realize that the last hope is spent and I end up committing suicide. Sorry for saying this but this is real concern. Also in the end other meds and clomipramine where i am now are just to reduce anxiety and so on. My mom said to me yesterday before i end myself i must use therapy card to see if it helps. I just think no matter how hard i try in therapy it dont help.
Honestly this is horrible how easily my life was totally ruined and fucked up. These days i have suicifal thoughts everyday and i dont know what to do. For now they are just thoughts. As many of you know last year summer i started brintellix second time in my life. BUT i made huge mistake. So last year summer i started and used Brintellix for two days and then stopped for 6 days because i was unsure will i really want to start it. After 6 days i returned to Brintellix. After i was returned to brintellix i started to feel temporary emotional bluntness for few weeks and head started to feel heavier but that emotional bluntness was worst. So to this day missing those 6 days only after two day use and temporary emotional bluntness had had devastating impact for my mental health. I also missed 2-3 days later two times but they are not so big deal. BUT every day is worrying from morning to evening has missing 6 days of it only after two day use and experiencing temporary emotional bluntness changed my personality or brains permanently. I have suicidal thoughts daily because of my situation. I have TOTALLY losted my will and interest to live. My life doesnt matter anything to myself anymore. Also i feel my short term memory is awful/fucked up after brintellix. What comes to personality my empathy ability has not still returned.
In 2022 i used Brintellix for 5 months without missing doses and it worked like a dream. That has been last time when i was full of life. But now after i missed doses for 6 days only after 2 day use i noticed brintellix started to be totally ineffective. Actually i noticed benefit already during first 1-2 days. Today i have also thinked Brintellix is also so new medication there is no knowledge or experiences yet how Brintellix can damage or change people personality or brains if doses are missed. I am so angry to myself why i just didnt continued it after two days or why i didnt missed 1-2 days max instead of 6 days. Im so lost i dont know why i am alive anymore😭 Without missing doses all would be so much better at least what comes to my mental health. I also fear like that how brintellix works by modulating receptors and how it affects multiple receptors are dangerous thing if doses are missed for too many days at the beginning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer limited to science fiction movies. It's woven into the fabric of our daily lives, quietly working behind the scenes to enhance our smartphone experience. From streamlining communication to fueling creative expression, AI-powered apps determine the mannerisms through which we interact with our mobile devices.
In this article, we will look at the ten best apps for iPhone and Android. Alongside this, we will weigh their pros and cons for optimal transparency. Make better data-driven decisions with AI and big data by the end of this article. Here are our top ten picks.

1. Otter.ai

Drowning in sticky notes and illegible handwriting? Otter.ai is your AI-powered solution for effortless note-taking. This app uses real-time speech recognition to transcribe conversations and lectures as they happen.
Focus on the present moment during meetings, interviews, or classes, knowing Otter.ai captures every word. Search through the transcribed text later to pinpoint key points, revisit specific moments, and ensure you never miss a crucial detail again.
Pros: Ditch notes, capture every word, easy search later
Cons: Less clarity, limited free storage, freemium account

2. Grammarly

Grammarly is one of the top ten Android apps for users. Its AI-powered app analyzes your text, identifying grammatical errors, typos, and awkward phrasing. It doesn't just point out mistakes but also suggests corrections and improvements.
Whether crafting an email, composing a social media post, or tackling a report, Grammarly ensures your message shines.
It can even suggest synonyms to enhance your vocabulary and recommend different sentence structures for smoother flow. With Grammarly by your side, you can confidently write, knowing your communication is clear, concise, and polished.
Pros: Flawless writing, improves clarity, boosts vocabulary
Cons: Limited free features, over-reliance, lack of human editorship

3. Moises App

Moises uses AI to separate audio tracks, allowing you to remove vocals from a song to create karaoke tracks or isolate specific instruments for musical experimentation. This app is a treasure trove for musicians, music lovers, and anyone who wants to get creative with audio manipulation.
Pros: Create Karaoke tracks, isolate instruments for remixes, a treasure trove for music lovers
Cons: Mandatory subscription, may require high-quality audio, limited editing features

4. Lensa

Lensa takes your selfies and transforms them into captivating works of art. Explore a library of artistic styles, from classic oil paintings and Renaissance portraits to whimsical cartoon filters and edgy pop art.
Lensa.ai utilizes AI to blend your features with these artistic styles, thereby creating unique and personalized digital masterpieces.
What’s more? You can even experiment with various filters, find your perfect artistic doppelganger, and share your creations on social media to impress your followers. Whether you crave a touch of artistic grandeur or a playful cartoon makeover, Lensa.ai offers a fun and creative way to see yourself in a whole new light.
Pros: AI art makeover, explore art styles, fun social media fodder
Cons: In-app purchases, subjective taste in art, privacy concerns

5. ELSA Speak

Regarded as one of the top ten apps for iPhone, Elsa is a pioneer in language development. Struggling with English pronunciation? Look no further than ELSA Speak, your AI-powered English coach. This app utilizes AI to analyze your spoken English, identifying areas for improvement. It provides personalized feedback on your pronunciation, highlighting sounds and words that need work.
ELSA Speak goes beyond simple corrections. It offers interactive lessons and exercises to help you master specific sounds and improve your fluency.
With regular practice and ELSA Speak's guidance, you can gain the confidence to speak English clearly and effectively in any situation.
Pros: Personalized feedback, improves pronunciation, gains speaking fluency
Cons: Limited languages, requires commitment, subscription format

6. WOMBO Dream

Ever feel creatively blocked or simply yearn for your inner artist? Look no further than WOMBO Dream. This art generator takes the reins, transforming your simple text prompts into unique and captivating paintings.
Describe a "mystical underwater city" or a "portrait of a courageous astronaut" to the app. WOMBO Dream uses its artistic intelligence to translate your words into stunning visuals. Explore a variety of artistic styles, from dreamlike landscapes to classic oil paintings.
With this app, anyone can become an art director, generating conversation-starting masterpieces in seconds.
Pros: AI art generator, explore creative prompts, instant artwork
Cons: Limited control, subscription for extensive styles, lack of artistic interpretation
Overwhelmed with AI? Here’s a step-by-step guide to AI basics and platforms.

7. Color by Number

This app takes the classic coloring-by-number concept and injects a dose of AI. It utilizes AI to generate unique pixel art coloring pages based on various themes and styles. While coloring is a relaxing and therapeutic activity, the AI-generated aspect adds a touch of novelty and keeps things interesting for creative minds.
Pros: Short video clips, caption comprehension, target language learning
Cons: Lacks broader understanding of the topic, requires internet connectivity, does not emphasize speaking or writing

8. Socratic by Google

Stuck on a homework problem and traditional methods aren't cutting it? Look no further than Socratic by Google! This learning app is your virtual study buddy. Simply snap a picture of your math problem, science question, or even a historical passage you're struggling with.
Socratic uses its AI smarts to analyze the content and provide you with step-by-step explanations, relevant videos, and alternative solution methods.
It even tackles multiple subjects, making it a versatile tool for various academic challenges. While Socratic can't solve every problem for you, it acts as a powerful guide, helping you understand concepts and develop problem-solving skills for future success.
Pros: Step-by-step solutions, multiple subjects supported, explanatory videos
Cons: Limited problem-solving types, limited solving capabilities, best for understanding concepts

9. Adobe Premiere Rush

This is a great option for anyone who wants to create and edit professional-looking videos on their phone. It has a simple and intuitive interface, but it also offers a wide range of features, including the ability to add multiple video clips, music, and titles.
You can also use Premiere Rush to adjust the color and lighting of your videos and to add special effects.
Pros: Easy to use, mobile-friendly editing, rich asset library
Cons: Limited features, cloud dependence, export restrictions

10. PlayPhrase

This app combines AI and language learning to create a fun and interactive experience. PlayPhrase uses AI to analyze short videos and generate captions in multiple languages. You can choose a video clip, and select the target language you're learning, and the app will transcribe the audio with captions.
Pros: Engaging video clips, interactive learning experience, multilingual options
Cons: Limited context, Excessive comprehension, needs web connectivity
Read more: Take Your First Step With an AI Basics Course For Beginners