Period: 1900-1908
The South Asian population in Canada grew by 5000%, with most of the new settlers being Punjabi Sikhs living in British Columbia, often working in nearby towns in Washington.
Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver (1907)) - 10,000 white Canadians attack Japanese, Chinese and South Asian Canadian residents, homes and businesses in Vancouver. Most South Asians in the city were former military vets who kept weapons in the house, so they protected themselves from most of the violence that was inflicted on the Chinese and Japanese communities.
Bellingham Riots (1907) - inspired by the riots in Vancouver, 400-500 white men "threw the East Indian workers into the streets, beat them, and pocketed their valuables." 125 Indians fled the town.
Continuous Journey Act is Passed (1908)—In response to anti-Indian sentiment in Canada, the government passed a restrictive immigration act requiring Indians to travel directly to Canada from their country of origin. This was done to try and make immigration from the subcontinent essentially impossible, as ships from India would stop in Japan or Hawaii on their way to Canada due to the distance.
Period: 1967-1981
After Pierre Trudeau's "points system" to immigration, the South Asian population in Canada grew by 3295% - unlike in past decades, most new South Asian immigrants in this period came to Ontario instead of BC.
W. Pitman's 1977 report to the Toronto Transit Commission, Now is Not Too Late, highlights that out of 31 racially motivated attacks on transit, the vast majority have targeted young men of "Indian-subcontinent origin."
In 1976, South Asians living in Toronto reported rampant discrimination in the workplace. In 1977, South Asians protested against racism at Toronto's Queens Park. News articles from the same year show random acts of violence against people of South Asian origin in Ontario, including agitators forcing their way into homes and throwing bricks at South Asians in a city an hour west of Toronto.
Current Period: 2016 - Present
The growth rates have been nowhere near what they were in these other two periods. Based on immigration and census data, this period probably saw the South Asian population grow by between 45% and 55%. What's different this time around are:

1. Numbers: This ~50% growth rate represents an addition of about 1 million people. The highest gains to the South Asian Canadian population in history was seen between 2016 and 2021, and the 2026 Census may reveal even higher population growth in sheer numbers.
2. Location: Facing strains on affordability and in the job market in traditional immigration hubs like Toronto and Vancouver, much of the new migrants are moving to outlying areas. As many are coming to Canada first through the community college system, they are accepting offers in areas without an established South Asian community. For example, in the relatively remote city of Timmins, where there were only 170 South Asians out of a population of 41,000 in 2016 - there are now over 6,000 international students, mostly from India. Other cities and towns have seen the desi population double (Kitchener), triple (Oshawa, Charlottetown, Halifax), up to a 900% increase (ex. Woodstock) in less than a decade. If the population grows more rapidly than people's attitudes and exposure to our cultures do, this can cause major backlash.
3. Visibility: Where past generations of Desi blue-collar immigrants worked in factories and warehouses in Ontario, and in the lumber mills, construction and canneries in BC - new migrants tend to be in the customer-facing service industry (fast food, retail, delivery). While population figures have increase significantly, many Canadians may only interact with South Asians in these places, which leads them to believe the rate of population growth is much larger than it actually is.
4. High Profile Negative Media Reports: From the 2018 Humboldt Bus Crash to the Killing of Harjit Nijjar to Extortion by South Asian Criminal Syndicates. I don't to have to spell out all of the negative press lately, but aside from the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict - South Asians have not had such a negative image in the public eye.

This is not some conclusive peer-reviewed study. History is a great teacher though.
Will it get better? There are things we can control like advocacy, unity and standing up for ourselves and others. If there is a link between mass immigration and racism, it's beyond our control. The government is restricting the number of student visas issued starting September, 2024. As it stands, there doesn't seem to be any media reports about how South Asian Canadians are discriminated against due to the rapid growth in immigration, though many of us feel it. I think this is a conversation that needs to be heard by politicians and journalists as the sentiment could affect everything from employment, to social lives to housing. This may just be something we have to endure for the period, as generations in the past have had to as well.
TLDR: We are currently experiencing rapid immigration-driven population growth in the South Asian community in Canada. There seems to be a link between this growth, especially to places where we have not already had a presence, and the racism directed towards the community by those who live in those areas. If people's attitudes and exposure don't change as fast as the community grows, this could be a major cause of the racism many of us experience.

I F36, have been with my partner M35 for 6.5 years, living together for 6 years. He's always had a high sex drive, way higher than mine, and I've known since we got together he masturbates once per day. I have a lot of physical and mental health problems which do impact my sex drive, but I try and be intimate as much as I can. Sometimes it could be weeks between sessions, sometimes it might only be a week. I know this is hard for him because sex is a big love language for him as well as the high sex drive.
We recently undertook 20 sessions of couples counselling for depression and touched on how we've felt like we aren't as close as we used to be, and how it impacts our mood etc. I am diagnosed with depression, he isn't however I have felt over the last couple of years like it's slowly crept in with him but he just denies it and brushes me off whenever I mention it.
As I say he has always watched porn, it has caused issues a few times when I discovered he had created an only fans account and was going on chat roulette or whatever it's called and I told him this hurt my feelings. It also bothered me that he follows/views a lot from reddit. It's hard to explain but if it was some famous porn actress that he had no way of contacting then it would bother me less than knowing most of the ones he views are amateurs with reddit accounts. He's never to my knowledge been in contact with anyone. But it just feels more real than a paid porn star. I know it probably doesn't make sense to anyone else. It definitely made me feel as though I wasn't enough for him, especially given that lack of sex we have.
Anyway tonight, I had to log on to his profile on the laptop - I sometimes do microsoft rewards on his profile that's why I needed to log on. We use a separate browser for that but I accidentally clicked on the main browser, I was confused my the rewards page didn't come up so clicked on history browser to bring it up and then realised I was using the wrong one. But whilst I was on there for that second I noticed that one of the last visited pages was porn, I kinda rolled my eyes but was curious to see what he had been watching. For the record I don't mind porn, it's also opened up discussion to what kind of things he'd like etc.
As I started scrolling through there was so so much of it. Sometimes for an hour at a time, and multiple times of day. Even when he's on his break at work. Today he got all weird about my daughters friends just walking into the house, and when I looked at today's viewing times some of it was right about when she would have come in the house so I'm guessing he was very nearly almost accidentally caught. We have discussed it before about when he's doing it, because I'm in bed a lot he's normally downstairs in our living room when he's doing it but I've told him it bothers me when he knows my daughters home because she could easily come downstairs. His answer was that he would hear her and I kind of dropped the conversation because I felt like he wasn't getting where I was coming from. But looking at the times and frequency has really bothered me, especially during work.
To make matters worse, the last 2 times we have tried to have penetrative sex he has lost his erection. He blamed it on being tired and getting leg cramp. We had a conversation about it because obviously there were a lot of feelings about it, and he said that it's probably due to his weight etc and then I asked him if he had had "alone time" that day. In case it's not obvious that's code word for him knocking one out. He said he had, and I said well that isn't normally a problem for you even when you had. He told me that even with porn now it's taking him a long time to cum, almost like he's bored sometimes. I didn't want to make him feel totally shit about losing an erection so I didn't go into how it made me feel too much, I just said maybe porn less if it's an issue.
But the truth is it really did bother me and I really do feel like it's an issue, and then to see all that porn he's been watching, and the risky times he's doing it (another example - he knows I have carers coming any time from 12pm-2pm on certain days and there's activity during those times when he could have been caught) and the fact he's even doing it at work it's all just gotten a bit much. I wanted to immediately go wake him up and confront him about it all but instead I just sat here crying not knowing what to do or say and I just feel lost. I don't know if he will brush it off or what. I looked up porn addiction and there was so much conflicting info about what constitutes as addiction and once a day is fine and normal etc etc. Just feel a bit lost and figured fuck it go have a rant on reddit.

I am starting to learn about making my own custom keyboard/macro pad and there's lots of info out there about constructing the hardware and writing firmware, but I haven't seen anything about how to write software that manages separate input profiles for different applications. I want to end up with something that can allow me to create input profiles to remap keys and swap between those profiles on the fly without having to change the device's firmware.
How does software like this work? I know Logitech G Hub allows you to do this with their devices, and can even automatically switch profiles based on which process is active. Another example is the Azeron keypads, which have their own custom profile management software for creating key mappings. How do I transform the input from a custom device like these do? What documentation would I even look for to get started with this? What differences might there be between doing this for Windows vs. Linux?
I've tried ReWASD before and I don't think it will work for what I want to do. Besides, I'd still like to know how all this actually works and write my own!

Hello all! I’m looking for some recommendations about the next card to add to my travel portfolio. In particular, I’m traveling to 3 countries in Europe late August/early September and would like to cover as much of it on points as I possibly can. Especially hotel rooms as the price of those can add up quickly. Including my credit profile below to help with recommendations.
CREDIT PROFILE

• Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of: Two non-travel cards opened in mid 2019 and April 2023 and a Chase Sapphire Preferred opened January this year with a combined credit limit of $21,500
  
• FICO Scores with source: My experian score about a month ago was 687 but have since seen a large boost in other scores. Transunion and Equifax are both around 760
  
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: 1
  
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: 1 technically (one was late April 2023)
  
• Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: 2
  
• Annual income $: 75k
  

CATEGORIES

• OK with category-specific cards?: I think so but would prefer not to have an annual fee if it’s category specific
• OK with rotating category cards?: Not preferable
• Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below. Only include what you can pay by credit card.
• Dining $: $200
• Groceries $: $250 of which $50 is spent at Costco and or BJs
• Gas $: Ranges from $80-$250 depending on the month. No more than half would be purchased at Costco or BJs
• Travel $: I don’t spend on travel regularly really. Only when I’m preparing for a trip but I currently set aside about $200/mo to spend on trips when they come up
• Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time (study abroad, digital nomad, expat, extended travel)?: I’m specifically looking for a card for this week long Europe trip but am looking to try digital nomading later this year so would be nice to choose a card I can use for that and keep long term
• Any other categories (examples: phone/internet, insurance) or stores (example: Amazon) with significant, regular credit card spend (the more you specify, the better): $ My 6 month car insurance payment is coming up and is around $1K. I would love to get the most points/value possible out of this
• Any other significant, regular credit card spend you didn't include above?: I am able to and usually do put $350-$400 of monthly expenses on my card in addition to groceries (parking, internet, etc.)
• Can you pay rent by credit card? If yes, list rent amount and if there's a fee for paying by credit card: $ Technically yes but the fee is around $50 MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS (delete lines that don't apply)
  
• Current member of Amazon Prime?: No
  
• Current Verizon postpaid customer?: No
  
• Current member of Costco or Sam's Club? Free Costco Membership and annual BJs membership
  

PURPOSE

• What's the purpose of your next card (choose ONE)?: Travel rewards
• If you answered "travel rewards", do you have a preferred airline and/or hotel chain? Not really. I’ve come to like Hyatt since having the Chase Sapphire Preferred since they have a published chart and a good point valuation but open to others
• Do you have any cards you've been looking at? Thinking about Amex gold, Hilton Honors Surpass, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless and the World of Hyatt card to a lesser extent (the sign up bonus feels kind of low)

Explore the depths of dark fantasy writing with our all-inclusive guide on enhancing your themes and drawing readers in with symbolism. Discover key strategies, delve into the background of dark fantasy literature, and let your imagination run wild with an enjoyable writing assignment. Regardless of your level of experience as a writer or your level of interest, this guide will assist you in creating dark fantasy stories that are memorable and impactful.
Writing in the dark fantasy genre is a journey into the depths of the human psyche, where symbolism and imagery rule supreme, and it goes beyond simple stories of magic and monsters. We'll look at how to use symbolism to enhance your themes, draw in readers, and craft worlds of dark fantasy that will stick with you in this extensive guide.

Understanding Symbolism in Dark Fantasy Writing

Let's examine the history and development of symbolism in dark fantasy literature before delving into its specific applications. Gothic literature is the source of dark fantasy literature; early works such as Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" established the themes of terror, mystery, and the paranormal. Dark fantasy has evolved over time as authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker have explored themes of power, corruption, and the human psyche.

The Power of Symbolism in Dark Fantasy Writing

A powerful tool in the dark fantasy writer's toolbox, symbolism enables you to give your works a deeper resonance and meaning. You can add layers of intricacy and depth that captivate readers and hold their interest throughout by employing symbols and imagery to symbolise abstract ideas, feelings, and themes.

Essential Techniques for Using Symbolism in Dark Fantasy Writing

Let's now examine some crucial methods for enhancing themes in your dark fantasy writing with symbolism:
Pick Your Symbols Wisely: Whether it's a menacing raven perched atop a gravestone, a mysterious amulet with dark powers, or a sinister castle shrouded in mist, pick symbols that speak to your themes and characters.
Establish Symbolic Motifs: To reaffirm themes and provide a feeling of coherence and unity, incorporate reoccurring symbols and motifs into your narrative. Including symbolic elements in your story can enhance its depth and richness. Some examples of such elements are the moon, which denotes mystery and transformation, or a colour like red, which stands for blood and passion.
Employ Symbolic Imagery: To evoke mood and atmosphere, use rich descriptive language to paint vivid pictures with your words. Use imagery to draw readers into the dark fantasy world you've created, whether you're describing a haunted forest shrouded in shadows or a dilapidated mansion full of secrets.
Investigate Archetypes and Myths: Use mythological motifs and archetypal characters as inspiration to give your narrative enduring themes and universal lessons. Using these classic themes, such as the hero's journey, the underworld's descent, or the conflict between light and darkness, can give your dark fantasy story more depth and resonance.

Fun Writing Exercise: Unleash Your Imagination

Select a Theme: Choose a theme or idea that you wish to explore in your dark fantasy story to begin with. Select a theme that appeals to you and piques your interest, such as the nature of power, the duality of human nature, or the quest for salvation.
Determine Your Symbols: The next step is to make a list of images and symbols that are connected to the theme you have selected. These could be places with symbolic meaning, animals, colours, or even objects. For example, you could use symbols like a decaying city, a black rose, or a serpent if you're examining the theme of corruption.
Create Your Story: After deciding on a theme and symbols, begin creating your story by incorporating these components into it to give it depth and resonance. Employ evocative language to create a sense of atmosphere and mood, and allow your symbols to direct the course of your story and the character development.
After writing your story, consider how the symbolism you employed enriched your themes and make any necessary revisions. Seek chances to hone your imagery or add more nuance to your symbolism in order to produce a more compelling and meaningful reading experience. And don't be scared to edit and polish your narrative until the power of symbolism shines through!

Famous Writers and Works in Dark Fantasy Literature

Dark fantasy literature boasts a rich history and a wealth of influential writers and works. From classic tales of Gothic horror to modern masterpieces of dark fantasy, here are a few notable examples:
The Cthulhu Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft: Lovecraft is recognised as one of the pioneers of contemporary horror literature, and the dark fantasy subgenre has been greatly impacted by his Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft's stories, replete with cosmic horror.), ancient gods, and secret knowledge, tackle existential dread and humanity's smallness in the face of cosmic forces that are beyond our comprehension.
Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman": This graphic novel series is a masterwork of dark fantasy that masterfully combines dream sequences, mythology, and folklore. With its sophisticated storyline, nuanced characters, and rich, vivid imagery, "The Sandman" has won both praise from critics and a devoted readership, solidifying Gaiman's place as one of the leading authors of contemporary dark fantasy literature.
George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire": George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" is a sprawling saga of political intrigue, war, and magic set in the fictional continent of Westeros. With its morally ambiguous characters, intricate plot twists, and gritty, realistic world-building, "A Song of Ice and Fire" has redefined the boundaries of the dark fantasy genre and inspired a cultural phenomenon with its adaptation into the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones".

Embrace the Power of Symbolism

To sum up, symbolism is a powerful tool that can enhance your themes, draw readers in, and help you write darker fantasy fiction to new heights. You can write dark fantasy stories that stick in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned by carefully selecting your symbols, coming up with symbolic motifs, employing vivid imagery, and taking inspiration from myths and archetypes.
So embrace the power of symbolism, let your imagination run wild, and set out on an amazing adventure into the shadowy depths of fantasy literature. Your readers are just waiting to be enthralled with the wonders of your writing!

Elevating Your Writing Experience

With pen and paper in hand, set off on your dark adventure, reflect on the deep experience that the GC Luxury Quill Set provides. Each stroke of the quill seems like a fall into the depths of darkness, capturing the essence of your darkest fantasies with unmatched precision thanks to its superb craftsmanship and timeless elegance.
The GC Luxury Quill Set transforms writing into an art form, drawing you into the intricate web of your own invention whether you're creating suspenseful dialogue or narrative twists. It becomes an extension of your will, channelling the raw emotion and atmosphere necessary to creating a genuinely unforgettable dark fantasy tale thanks to its ergonomic form and fluid ink flow.

My Own Dark Fantasy Realm

Hi there, fellow fans of dark fantasy! Thanks to your unflinching support, our blog—which is packed with tales and inspirations of dark fantasy—is making waves on TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. Even more thrilling is the fact that we're creating a captivating Trading Card Game to further engross you in Twilight Citadel's eerie mysteries. Explore the depths of the shadows with our website, where you can get eerie yet lovely phone wallpapers and posters. Furthermore, we've got you covered with free resources like desktop wallpapers and profile pictures to make sure your gadgets are brimming with eerie fantasy atmosphere. Come along with us on this surreal adventure, where fears come true and shadows dance. Are you prepared to welcome the gloom?

Here is a quick compilation of recent Hinge changes and issues.
Top Photo
Hinge is rolling out the Top Photo feature to various locations. Note that if the Top Photo option is available for you, it is toggled on by default. You won't notice the photos shuffling when you view your own profile in the edit section. When you see the same people's profile on discover shuffling their photos constantly, it's because of Top Photo
Hinge however does not state whether or not Top Photo also applies to profiles on your Likes and Match lists. As far as I can tell, Top Photo does not apply to profiles on those lists.
Written Prompts character limit bug
There is a bug where you can't write anymore words in the written prompts without hitting the character limit. The simple work around is to write your prompts in a notes app on your phone, then copy and paste it onto Hinge. If you notice whatever you wrote is cut off by Hinge, it means your written prompt is too long and hit the character limit.
"Nearby" option removed from discover
On the latest UI update, Hinge removed the "Nearby" filter option (as well as the "Compatible" option), with only "Active today" and "New here" available. "Compatible" is now the default option when nothing is chosen. Note, this is only applicable to people with Hinge+ or X.
Hinge Support confirmed that the "Nearby" option was removed on purpose as they are testing this new UI. The important word here is that this is a supposedly a test, so there could be a possibility that Hinge could reverse the change. Hinge wants people to instead have quicker access to preferences in order to filter profiles better. (The three options given are Age, Height, and Dating Intentions.) If you want to see profiles closer to you, Hinge says to manually update the distance preference.
If you liked the "Nearby" option and don't like the fact Hinge removed this option, I suggest filing a support ticket and give them this feedback.
Hidden Words
Hinge added the Hidden Words feature back in April. It seems however, on social media many many people are misinformed as to how this feature actually works.
Hidden Words does not filter out profiles on discover or likes without comments. All it does is filter out specific words if someone sends a comment with their like/rose that contain those words. For example: if you added "pineapple on pizza", it won't filter out any profiles with those words included. Only if someone sent a like that included the comment 'pineapple on pizza" will the Hidden Words filter block that profile from showing up on your Likes list and notifications and instead will move it onto the Hidden Likes list.
So don't bother adding all the cliches you hate seeing on Hinge since it won't do anything to prevent you from seeing them unless they happen to send a comment including those specific phrases. You may instead inadvertently block a well meaning profile who happened to said the wrong words in their comments.
Relationship Type filter
Don't forget that there's a Relationship Type filter now available for most users, and more importantly it is a FREE filter. If you don't want any non-monogamy/poly/ENM people, or only want to seek those types, you can filter them now.
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Hi. I've made a couple modifications to this: https://github.com/MatthewCroughan/raspberrypi-nixos-example so it builds an x84_64 image instead. flake.nix is now:

{ inputs = { nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-23.11"; # nixos-hardware.url = "github:nixos/nixos-hardware"; }; outputs = { self, nixpkgs, nixos-hardware }: rec { images = { tank = (self.nixosConfigurations.tank.extendModules { modules = [ "${nixpkgs}/nixos/modules/installesd-card/sd-image-x86_64.nix" { disabledModules = [ "profiles/base.nix" ]; } ]; }).config.system.build.sdImage; }; packages.x86_64-linux.tank-image = images.tank; # packages.aarch64-linux.tank-image = images.tank; nixosConfigurations = { tank = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem { system = "x86_64-linux"; modules = [ # nixos-hardware.nixosModules.raspberry-pi-4 "${nixpkgs}/nixos/modules/profiles/minimal.nix" ./configuration.nix ./base.nix ]; }; }; }; } 

I flash it onto a USB drive using this command: zstdcat nixos-sd-image-23.11.20240512.44072e2-x86_64-linux.img.zst sudo dd of=/dev/sdd status=progress iflag=fullblock oflag=direct conv=fsync,noerror bs=64k
I am unable to boot off of this drive. It shows up as a UFD and UEFI boot device in the BIOS menu. Either option spits me back into the BIOS setup. On another computer it just hangs on a black screen instead.
What am I doing wrong?

Cliff tells Howard he is obligated to go to the board, after Howard appears to be on drugs and blew the arbitration hearing.
But wouldn’t he have been obligated to tell the board back when he saw “cocaine” fall out of his locker, tossed a prostitute out of his car and maybe even tell them about the hookers at lunch? There was a judge sitting right there watching at lunch, so people definitely hear about that and word would get back to the board and possibly blow back on Cliff.
Cliff’s character seems unimpeachable and I don’t see him covering for Howard for felonies or any behaviors that could damage the firms reputation. Owners have been fired for much less than that. Take John Scully and Steve Jobs for example, and that was a tech company, not even a high profile law firm.

I'm reposting this as it was edited by AI to be a bit more grammatically correct and "editorial" sounding, and came out completely wrong, my apologies - my writing generally sucks. The below content is important to me, so I'm looking for serious reflection, debate if anyone is interested. Thanks.
There's obviously been some discord with the new Mini line-up pitting Mini loyal purists against the fresher minded Mini lovers who prefer the new styling. We're all entitled to our opinions and that's okay, I'm not here to convince anyone of one trend or styling over the other. But we should be looking at the reasons of why Mini has made these style/business choices. I feel that some of these reasons are largely being ignored by some fans, being accepted as "the new trend, accept it", versus the 'straight-to-market', market cap gaining, cutting costs to get there, loss of prestige, quality of materials, and loyalty be damned - as I and others see it.
I obviously sit on the side of mostly disliking this new generation not because of their style choices (while ugly) but their decision to sacrifice quality in order to gain market cap, and their decision to partner with Great Wall Motors and produce an awful end-product out of China that mostly mimics the likes of the South East Asian market.
The Asian market isn't so much the problem, it's the en mass production of said materials, "recycled", "faux", and low quality plastics that are being used in their vehicles. A lot of people have said "this is the trend" and where all mass marketed cars are heading. But I think Mini's decision to partner with Great Wall Motors and produce the car out of China has a huge impact on their intention to go straight-to-market, cost cutting, streamlined parts, and therefore (in my opinion) loss of quality, and diminished/minimalist styling and impact on general design.
For example, I've said this in other places, but Great Wall Motor's 2023 Ora EV is a near clone of the Mini Cooper EV of which is made out of the same factory as the Ora. This partnership started in late 2017, early 2018 and didn't just happen yesterday. If you see the URL's below of the Ora you can see that they're pretty much clones, the round headlines, "unique" colorful interior, faux leather, low quality plastics, and minimalist approach.
Sorry for the length of this, but I'd love a friendly discussion about the above because it seems to be that BMW/Mini along with GWM are really just trying to gain as many customers as they can while doing it from a straight-to-market, cost-cutting designs, while largely impacting the former prestige and "luxury" feel our beloved Minis once had. What do you think?
2023 GWM Ora Exterior
2023 GWM Ora Interior

how can I separate curve from profile using geometry node and get a result like the example in the image below ?
https://preview.redd.it/qt7adnksva0d1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=26f1eab3386d227e60db5a49fa89a8c6fe8ab606

Not a profile that’s barely filled out, odd, creepy or gives eff boy vibes. I mean they very well could be all those things but let’s say if they send a well thought msg & their profile appeals to you, does it equate to if they approached you in person? As someone who only uses dating apps casually since I don’t have a social life, I wonder if I should count those encounters, as I’d probably consider them if they for example approached me at a bar etc. Also asking cuz I never get approached by the type of guys I’d like in person.
View Poll

Not a profile that’s barely filled out, odd, creepy or gives eff boy vibes. I mean they very well could be all those things but let’s say if they send a well thought msg & their profile appeals to you, does it equate to if they approached you in person? As someone who only uses dating apps casually since I don’t have a social life, I wonder if I should count those encounters, as I’d probably consider them if they for example approached me at a bar etc. Also asking cuz I never get approached by the type of guys I’d like in person.

Mistress Carrie (posted 5-2-24 via Youtube)
New Album info starts approx. 6:50 (This was already posted)

• Done, “currently, I think, an 11 song album with 2 bonus tracks”
• Single picked, opening track (this will be the first time that’s ever happened for a studio album)
• “Single, I think, coming to radio in like July”
• “Album, I think, is slated for September 20th”
• Single will be called Judas Mind
• Around 4 minutes long
• Doesn’t think the next album will take 4 years

Setlist discussion starts approx. 8:30

• Carrie asked process for picking songs “do you fight out who’s songs get on the setlist” “Definitely not” (then there’s some side talk about Fortnite)
• Only 60 minutes, so there’s really only 12 songs, because they average about 5 minutes/song
• Have to pick a) which ones the fans want to hear the most, which are the most popular “you’re never going to make anybody happy” and (B)) you want to find a flow that’s easy to make sense as you go through the set
• “It is time to change the set up, today, because we’ve been playing the same set for the last week and a half or so. We’ll make some changes today and see how that goes for the next few days, kinda tweak it as we go” (looks like since then they've added Truth into the setlist in place of Bruised & Bloodied)
• “But really, we’re here to serve the audience rather than ourselves. It’s very easy to get up there and play songs we want to play more than we want to play the singles but the singles are what gets the response. In return that’s how you get the great feedback from the crowds.”
• “So Broken’s always on there, Fine Again’s always on there” (this got a legit LOL from me because I can just imagine Shaun’s rolling his eyes based on the attitude that went with this) “Songs that people have known the longest for example, Fake It, those are staples”
• “When you come down to 12 songs there’s not much space for wiggle room. You can play 12 singles that did really well and people know and love, but you’re always going to get ‘well why didn’t you play that one song’” “Sorry, only had the 12 songs, only had the hour but we still try to serve as well as we can”
• “Our job is to entertain you and if we play songs you don’t know or want to hear or don’t love…”

Misc

• Not mayhem backstage, they’re all older now.
• About the fans (post covid) “It’s amazing, we’ve always loved our fans a lot, same thing when it comes to the setlist, try to serve the fans, fact that we’re out here and they’re responding and so excited about it…” 14th week of touring in the last 4 years, which is crazy because they used to do 14 weeks at a time, take a break and go back out. It’s different in that sense. Fans have been great and they really appreciate it.
• Talks about their kids and if they know they’re rock stars.
• Shaun despised Zoom, made him feel even more isolated.
• Talks about the Bruised & Bloodied video where they were all made to stand 6ft apart and get tested even though they’d all been staying in the same house for a week. Called it a charade (referring more to the rules than Covid itself, based on the context).

98 Rock (posted 4-29-24 via Youtube)

• Not much of note here. 5 min interview, Marianne seemed to have no knowledge of the band.
• Think newer bands need the Social Media aspect more than bands that have been around for a while.
• On not being the headliner – less pressure, shorter set, get to watch the headliner. Get to see things you wouldn’t normally see and form your own opinion on bands.

WDHA Rock the Rock Fest 4-25-24 YouTube

• Maybe Shaun was just having an “off” day, but he didn’t seem very into doing this interview? Hood up, ballcap on, offering short handshakes, over-exaggerated smile during the photo (which he does with some regularity, but combined with the other things…)
• It’s odd to hear Terrie calling him one of the most accessible artists during Covid considering how open he has been about how much he hated Zoom.
• The second year of lockdown/Covid “felt like shenanigans” but was life-changing. Affected his feelings on touring and being away from his kids, doesn’t feel like that’s something he can do anymore. Doesn’t feel the same way he used to after it was all taken away from him. Left him feeling devalued.
• Calls them a “radio band”: to a radio station it’s a band that connects with people
• I liked that Terrie took the time to speak to EVERYONE with something specific. While Shaun handled the most of it, she also asked Dale about his fishing/geacooking, John about The Nixons, and Corey about his previous bands.

I started dating my boyfriend in June of 2023, so we're about to celebrate our first anniversary. For the first seven months, we had a long-distance relationship; I was living in the US, and he was in Mexico. We met in April 2023 through social media, having common friends. Everything was fantastic at the beginning. We would talk for hours, video chat, play games, and watch movies. It was so pleasant, and I felt completely at ease with him. We're both introverts, so we don't go out much or have many friends. I planned my first trip to meet him during his birthday in June, and it was amazing. I felt like he could be the one. He barely even checked his social media, no texts or calls from other people. It was a refreshing change from the challenges of a long-distance relationship.
However, when I visited him in December, I noticed something that shook me. We were discussing something interesting, and I needed to show him some facts on my phone, which ran out of battery. When I asked to use his phone, he seemed nervous and tilted the screen away from me. I noticed he was closing a bunch of Facebook tabs with other girls' profiles. This behavior was entirely new to me, and it reminded me of my past experiences where my exes did similar things to have other options or potential affairs.
I got upset and didn't want to talk anymore. He apologized and handed me his phone, asking me to check it to feel better. I felt awful unlocking it, as it brought back memories and feelings I never wanted to experience again. After thinking for a while, I realized he wasn't my ex, and it wasn't fair to judge him based on my past experiences. I apologized for my reaction, and we moved forward.
We started living together in late February, but I've noticed things that upset me. For example, he used to look at girls on Facebook, Instagram and nude girls on NSFW channels here on reddit during work. When I confronted him, he blamed it on the algorithm and stopped using those platforms for a while. However, just three days ago I discovered that he uses other social media platforms where I don't follow him to look at explicit content. He follows NSFW channels and uses platforms that allow complete nudity, which is a major concern for me.
Today, he came home from work and casually mentioned how he follows adult actress podcasts and listens to their explicit stories. I'm deeply upset and feel like he may have an addiction to pornography or nudity. I don't know if he constantly thinks about these things or if he lacks empathy and understanding of how his actions affect me. I've had vulnerable conversations with him about the abuse I endured in past relationships and how his actions make me feel uneasy, but I don't feel like he truly understands or empathizes with me. I feel like he views me as toxic when I express my concerns.
We never fight, and we get along extremely well, but I can't stand his perverseness. It makes me feel like I'm not enough, even though we have a fulfilling intimate life. I'm starting to question if he's the right person to be the father of my children, especially with this concerning behavior that hints at addiction. I don't know how to approach him about this or if he'll even understand my perspective.
I don't know how to approach a talk with hime without sounding crazy or toxic. I just despise this behaviour and it's enough to make me doubt if I wanna be with him forever, because when he said he would change, he went as far as starting to use other social media behind my back knowing everything I've told him and how it makes me feel. I just feel betrayed and that I am not worth it. I am intimate with him every night and to know he needs more of this type of information visually or audiobly it just really turns me off and makes me feel useless.
TLDR; my boyfriend has an addiction to porn and soft porn NSFW content. I have talked many times of how this makes me feel yet he fimds ways to tell me it will get better only to decieve me. When confronted he blames algorithms and shrugs it off as me being toxic.

What do we think of pastor's paying for views on their sermons?
I have seen pastor's of small (<80 people) reformed churches discreetly spend tens of thousands of church funds/tiths to advertise their own sermons on Christian websites.
For example, a lot of people think that the 'featured sermon' section on sermon audio is like "most popular this week" or something, but it's actually a paid advert at a rate of $200 a day.
What do we think of reformed pastor's doing this to raise their profile, and using church funds?

Not talking about demi god apprentice stuff. Like when you go on your profile overview and it says for example rank 50k for ranked and rank 50k for kasuals anyone know how that works?

What do we think of pastor's paying for views on their sermons?
I have seen pastor's of small (<80 people) reformed churches discreetly spend tens of thousands of church funds/tiths to advertise their own sermons on Christian websites.
For example, a lot of people think that the 'featured sermon' section on sermon audio is like "most popular this week" or something, but it's actually a paid advert at a rate of $200 a day.
What do we think of reformed pastor's doing this to raise their profile, and using church funds?

Before i start, I should state that I'm an 18 year old male. My ex is a female and year younger.
I posted on here about 4 months ago after my breakup with my ex of 5 months. But after a while i decided to delete the post. The sum of the post was that our relationship was at the best it's ever been and she ended it out of no where one night, saying she thinks she might be a lesbian. I supported her decision no matter how much it hurt to hear, because i loved her so so much. I was spiraling and thinking whether or not i wait for her to come back after she finds herself due to her concerns that she might go on this journey and realize she's actually not a lesbian, but if she wanted to come back, i wouldn't be here. Anyway, i still have the text so i'll repost the story on my profile after this post if you was read it.
But let's cut to now. It's been 4 months since. And I'm still not over it. It was my first ever heartbreak, which i know tends to stick with you no matter what. But I really saw her as perfect. I felt she was the best girl for me, and i tried my best to be the best guy for her. She's the sweetest, kindest, person i've ever met. She was also incredibly beautiful to me. Anyway, i can go on and on about her but I'll just explain my feelings.
Over the past 4 months i've never stopped struggling. i still think of her every single day. and every time i feel like im making good progress at getting over her, something happens that places me back to square one. For Example, for the past few weeks i've been trending towards getting better! But 2 nights ago, i had a weird dream that included her, painted in the most wonderful light, accentuating her beauty and all her good qualities. and me, i suppose metaphorically chasing after her. this isn't the first time this exact thing has happened either. i have dreams of her all the time.
Last Night, i couldn't sleep due to my mind racing. I couldn't get her out of my mind. So i did something that i probably shouldn't have. i looked through memories from when we were together. But it surprisingly made me smile and laugh more than anything. i was truly happy for the first time when i was with her. and it's all memories and screenshots now.
I somehow reached this level of peace afterwards. imagining being with her. and i felt happy. it was almost like a hallucination or a lucid dream. it was weird, but i felt amazing. but now, im back to this helpless feeling.
Sorry for being all over the place, but what im trying to get to is that... I just don't know what to do. I've tried moving on by looking for new people, but every single one ends up failing. and every time i start to get in my feelings about my ex, i run away from talking to anyone bc it's not fair to them. I'm not gonna say i have no one to talk to about this, bc i do. But i don't want to overwhelm anyone like my mom for example with all of this (so i'm running to reddit 😭).
So do i keep trying to get over her? or do i maybe try to inch back to talking to her? that's really scary but, if i have the slightest chance to get her back i'll do it. even though there hasn't been any signs of that being a possibility.
I would just love some advice on this from people who have been through a similar situation, because i really can't shake this helpless feeling i have when i think about her. I'll answer any questions you have for me about this, because i know this post is all over the place and probably confusing. sorry about that :/

Hi there! For a personal profile whose sole purpose is to stay in touch with my friends and meet new people, I wanted to ask for some suggestions regarding the following idea:
I was looking for a way to showcase information about myself from various areas. This could include playlists of music I enjoy, the anime/series I've watched, a rundown of my hobbies, projects, and more. You could almost consider it a kind of personal blog that compiles everything I'm interested in so that both my friends and potential new connections can get to know me better, with the intention of finding common interests and projects.
Initially, I thought about using a Linktree and branching out from there. For example, I could link to a Spotify playlist, perhaps another link to a page where I review anime and share my profile there so people can see the series I've watched, and so on. I also thought about using Notion for this, although I'm still not very familiar with it to be sure.

I'd also like it to be visually appealing (and customizable!), if possible, maybe with some statistics? Like, the progress in the series i watching now or things like that, that would be cool too!

As a side note, my profile is already built with highlighted stories and posts that somewhat align with this, but I'd like to focus on providing more information that I can't convey through those ways.

I'd also like to know if there's a way to include a phrase in the link instead of just displaying the direct URL, something like "learn more about me" to indicate that clicking there will provide more information about my interests.

In any case, any suggestion (website or idea) that contributes to this idea is welcome! Thank you!

At work, there is a person who confidently passes off the wrong stuff as true. They say it so convincingly, other people don’t seem to question it. They aren’t doing this intentionally, they legitimately believe what they say is truth. For example, they’ll read the headlines of something and have no real deep understanding of what the article actually had to say, this leading them to talk at length about what they assume the click bait title of the article was, rather than the true unsexy story. How can I discreetly discredit this person, and possibly give them a dose of humility? It’s troubling to see others look to them for answers.

This follows the earlier news that Mark Nelson (USA) will be the referee.
Source: https://www.boxingscene.com/referee-judges-place-undisputed-clash-between-fury-usyk--183507
That article also has examples of some high-profile events judged by these men.

The format and resulting engagement of Reddit can create some of the best forums on the internet. When I come into a subreddit for a hobby I very much enjoy, and users say your treatment of them dissuades them from engaging, that actually makes me angry. The years you have spent engaging with other Reddit users, disguising as a benign hobbyist before devolving into fallacious discussion, is over. When I say you, Djdefenda, I’m also including a litany of other accounts that model their behavior from your example or are alternate accounts you operate.
I started with two simple criticisms of your product. Claims you simply could have blissfully obfuscated your way out of, as you had done for years. But you chose your second favorite option, ignore the argument and direct insults and accusations of bullying.
You need “sandponics” to be discrete and differentiated from aquaponics to sell a book and course for which you were, and continue to be, wholly unqualified to author. You do this by wildly extrapolating limited and outdated research, misconstruing trial data, then constantly bombarding threads with tangential explanations, fallacies, and gaslighting.
This complete dissociation from reality motivated by money is an ethical failing, but I don’t consider it your worst offense.
When you compare simple critiques of your demonstrably false claims to acts of online bullying and relate that to acts of suicide, you demonstrate a level of morality I find disgusting. That is disgusting. Then to compile a list of usernames and post that to a url that reads “how to kill robots” makes you a little fucking ghoul. Again, so you can protect a product which we are all free to criticize and which has never reached any level of harassment. Hence why I am still here, and you are banned.
My advice, take your “team”, while they still waste any time with you, and use them to promote your version of sandponics (iAVS) on a platform that doesn’t garner the same style of feedback as Reddit. With enough YT shorts or tik toks, maybe you attract the eye of society’s gaze for a short time. Do a thumbnail where you have a surprised face and point to a headline that reads something like, “Agriculture is obsolete!” If you’re lucky, enough of those clicks will land on your website and maybe you’ll sell a few books. If you’re really lucky, maybe you’ll make in a quarter what I make in a year before the spotlight moves on. Next, pay your minions, spend a few years investing the rest into your sandponics and make the first commercial-scaled long-term system and prove us all wrong. Of the hundreds, if not thousands, of papers documenting aquaponics, “sandponics” has like ten, and none from this century. Good luck.
The users of aquaponics decided they were done with your shit and would rather get back to the community they enjoy. A place where we share our creations and experiences without fear of your vitriol and judgement.