26F
Since when I understood the concept of marriage , I’ve always believed that whatever I earn, some part of my salary is for my parents and my younger brother, irrespective of being single or married. Like kartikeya swami , my parents are the world to me. But it isn’t reciprocated. It hurts so bad. I’ve been working since 4 years - I’ve helped my brother with his fees, his shopping, my dad with some expenses here and there, trips, I also bought a car (which is for them basically)
But I get the vibe that when I get married I won’t even be considered as anyone here. My dad already says his 2 houses are of my brother. (This hit me so hard. lol I don’t even want anything. It’s the sentiment that matters. If he says it’s for both of u. I’ll happily give up my share. I don’t even need/want. ) When they talk about future , they casually deny my existence.
I said once let’s shift to 3BHK (1 room for me ) they didn’t agree.
I don’t know how to handle this
Was dowry a workaround to this thing ?
In my darkest angriest phase I thought I wish I get married into a demanding family I’ll get what I deserve (which I don’t want) by hook or crook. But that’s just me being angry. I know I’ll keep on doing stuff for them. And I can’t share with society (relatives) because dad doesn’t want them to know that his daughter helps him around.
Sometimes I wish to move far away before things get unloving and toxic. No one take my money and no one give me anything. I’ll declare myself an orphan and fly like a bird.
And the other thing - if I get married I’m not going to be anything significant to that family as well.
Edit - heading doesn’t make sense but I moved from the topic as I typed.

Ive come to terms with my illness and i try not to use it as an excuse for how i treat people, but i also dont know how else to explain myself. Finding the words for my emotions is so difficult, because i feel things so strongly but then they dont feel important enough to talk about. I want to say all the things i think but i feel like i would only sound stupid and id be misunderstood either way. Im living in a constant state of confusion, i dont know who i am and i have no desire for life or relationships. But i still pretend i do, i initiate love interest out of boredom but i know im not capable of loving anyone-because my self hatred runs so deep. i know im not taking people seriously and i forget that im intentionally playing with other’s emotions, and for literally no reason- i dont know what to do with myself and i cant stop. Im lonely, i dont have close friends and i hate socializing, but i go on and on about wanting to be loved, wanting someone to talk to- but i dread leaving my home, i have comfort in solitude. Because when im in public all i can think about is how people perceive me, i feel like they think so negatively about me and that im hated or disliked by people who dont even know me, im so insecure it consumes me everyday. Even when talking to people all i can think about is how stupid i sound, how ugly i might look to them. And the stupid thing is, people are nice to me, ive never been bullied. Im the one who judges others, i dont even want to talk to anyone because although im insecure i feel smarter than everyone else, i dont think anyone could get on my level. My mind is always convincing me im terrible in every way, so why do i feel superior at the same time? I dont know. Everyday i think differently about myself, i seriously wear a different face everyday, and having body dysmorphia doesnt help. I hate humans so much, im angry all the time, angry at the world and never satisfied with anything. Im a hypocrite, i look down on people who remind me of me. I do the things i hate other people do. I feel so much more woke than most, i see the world for what it really is, and all that does is make me more miserable and self aware to the point i cant take being alone with my own thoughts. I take drugs just to feel something and feel immensely more depressed. But i convince myself its a better feeling than being numb. I feel like a faker in everything i do, i feel like my kindness is fake, i know im not all bad, theres good, people around me know i can be good, Why does my mind make me feel so evil, awful and unworthy of anything good. Why does nothing help, I’ve accepted that this is how ill always be, but i dont want to be me anymore i hate it so much, it hurts that i cant change myself. Sometimes i feel like im just not built to be human

Hello!
TL;DR - Trying to make my own Pokémon Hack game (completely new story and region), and looking for some resources/tutorials/tools/anything I can get my hands on, and looking for tips and tricks to making a new region and maps.
The long version:
I want to create my own ROM hack, but have a few questions that I can’t exactly google to find the answers. I’ve already looked into the pokeemerald decomp (and pokeemerald-extended), and have found some tutorials there, but not ones that I’m looking for yet.
The biggest one I have is creating a new region map. I have messed around with Porymap, which has an option to mess with the regional map, but… let’s just say that it’s tedious and limited. So I was wondering what everyone else was using/doing to create their own new regions. What tools and resources did you guys find to make your own regions? Could I use Advanced Map, and how would that affect the decomp?
Another question, that I have found a few answers for, is adding in new features (ie extended Pokédex to incorporate other generations as well). A few that I have looked into, I can’t seem to find exactly are:

- Pokémon walking behind player. I did find a few posts and videos, but no actual code. And I wasn’t sure if I could include all the Pokémon that I wanted (gen 1-4, plus a few extras here and there) - Character customization. I haven’t looked into this as much, but I haven’t really seen much about in forums/tutorials that I have come across already. And, kind of going along with this is creating a new opening script (not the opening scene before starting a new game, but when you start a new game and Professor Birch speaks to you.) 

And lastly, I’m just looking for the best place to get tilesets and how to add them into my project. I saw one post saying DeviantArt, but I guess I don’t know what to do with what I find. (I’m also looking for tilesets that match the vibe of HG/SS)
Honestly, just any sort of help would be amazing! I do want to compile all the resources and tools I used to create a tutorial of my own, more like a documentation of my process, in hopes that it helps others down the line. I’ll also try to keep you guys posted on my progress with the game too!
Thank you all for your help!

Hi there,
I wanted to take the time to write out a detailed explanation as to why some people might be hesitant donating to charitable organizations and why I personally would be in the 5% of people who would not follow Ludwig's recommendation of donating to Creators for Palestine. I'm also not here to be antagonistic towards others who donated but merely offer my perspective and decision making process as someone who has gathered knowledge about economics as well as psychology due to curiosity, specifically when it comes to the potential for corruption and ensuring money spent is used towards the expressed goals a charitable organization is expressing.
I also wanted to thank Ludwig for his respectful acknowledgement of the fact that not everyone would be prepared to donate like he did. I don't like how he's been treated for doing that and perhaps offering my perspective in detail will give some weight to that perspective and get people to empathize with both my position and his intent to validate others who see things differently.
World economics is something I became curious and interested in due to the 2008 financial collapse. It seemed mindboggling to me that various trusted institutions would engage in manipulative behavior on such a massive scale, something that many documentaries have covered as well as the movie The Big Short.
My interest did not stop there. A lesser publicized story regarding the HSBC also manifested between then and now that shares insights into how our modern economy operates and how that manipulative behavior, which has yet to be criminalized and legislated against, is leading to funding organizations who are harming the public at large.
There have been little amendments to accountability as a whole and charities, are also entities that are financial institutions that can be used for illicit purposes as they exist in this very space that lacks proper oversight and regulations due to what is permitted on the global economic stage which is the hiding of assets and the effortlessness of creating corporate entities out of thin air. We've seen evidence of this being reported as well when it comes to charitable organizations claiming they're doing something for a cause, only to funnel that money towards harmful and exploitative actors.
Basically, if you have the capital, you can set up a meeting with a law firm, assign a signatory, or even hire one through them and whatever happens with that account, is going to be completely untraceable and outside of public scrutiny. One of the reasons we now have this information is due to the tireless work of the ICIJ and their release of the Paradise Papers as well as other investigative works they undertook regarding the offshore economy.
Because of this, for me, a charitable organization needs to have an established record and a history of demonstrable humanitarian support, in order for me to sign up with them. Things like food banks for example, will have a long history of providing a population food. In fact, one of the best things you can do is give them money as they will be more effective when it comes to meeting demands vs having a surplus that is perishable and can expire.
When one looks at the PCRF, one can see that it was established in 1991. That means there's a longstanding record of their operations and effectiveness. However, when one looks at that record, one is met with some startling discoveries.
One such discovery is that its operational budget for 2021 was 13.7 million, which is money that didn't get to the children of Palestine. It took in 21.7 million, which means that only 7.3 million dollars of that money was supposedly provided to relief efforts. That's like 33%.
Then you have the instance of the US Treasury deciding to freeze its assets on suspicion that it was funneling money to Hamas, which we've seen in the current economic climate and through history, is a very real threat. And that's just the tip of the iceberg as you can see on the page that I linked.
Lets say for the sake of argument that these concerns are unfounded though and that the operational costs in 2021 were justified due to the challenges of getting aid to that area of the world and that the US Treasury was engaging in a complete witch hunt and everything else has some sort of reasonable explanation.
Why, would one require a fourth party, through Tiltify, in order to then give money to the PCRF? It does not make any logical sense whatsoever to me, especially when they are actively taking a cut of charitable donations as well. The PCRF has its own website with a fully functional donation page, why involve a fourth party in that donation chain?
Another thing I look at, are the people who are leading these charitable organizations.
Michael Wasserman, the founder of Tiltify, his educational background? Is in music. All of a sudden, after embarking into the field he went to school for, this guy makes a drastic career change, launching himself into the field of philanthropy and business. That seems odd to me.
All of these reasons combined are why when someone recommends that I donate to a charity that has shown the potential for corruptive practices, my response is along the lines of no thank you. It's not because I do not empathize with the events taking place in Palestine but it comes from a place of wanting that money to get to the people in need.
When it comes to the psychology at play Dr Ramani is an expert on narcissism and she estimates that about 1 in 6 people are narcissists.
These are individuals who have no empathy to speak of. They know right from wrong but ultimately, people are just things for them to manipulate and control. More often than not, these are the people who find themselves in positions of power and control because they spend a lifetime practicing the art of manipulation and deception so they can obtain these positions by any and all means necessary.
They would have absolutely no problems using an event like what's happening in Gaza in order to gather money for themselves with the illusion of helping others and using people's empathy against them who are looking to donate to a good cause. In fact, they think they're entitled to it.
Narcissists will often do this thing called breadcrumbing where they will give a breadcrumb to someone who is starving either literally or emotionally, in order to give the perception that they are doing something when in reality it's a manipulative self-serving behavior. This would also manifest in a business because we're hierarchical creatures, their presence would lead to them having ultimate power and control over that company, its environment and a business' behaviour would reflect the personality type of that leader.
Empaths, their antithesis? Would be the ones who would take the dollars received and ensure victims get the lions share whilst keeping operational costs down.
Mirjana Spoljaric Egger strikes me as such an individual. An empath. She actually went to Gaza to see and understand the environment she was tasking herself and the organization she represents to help survivors of a historical genocidal attack from Israel at the command of Netanyahu. It seems far more probable to me that funding the International Committee of the Red Cross will achieve the goal of providing relief to survivors in desperate need.
These are the reasons why I take great care choosing what charitable organization to engage with and promote and I think it's perfectly reasonable to do so.
I'm grateful that there are people like Ludwig who respects that however I still felt a need to justify this position due to recent events that made me feel like I was doing something wrong because he was made to feel like he was doing something wrong for simply acknowledging people like me.
And it felt kinda shitty to be honest.

The ascent to educational entrepreneurship is a path not often taken lightly. The pillars of play school establishment are grounded in fostering the foundation of future innovators, creators, and leaders. For those who venture into the world of educational franchise, success is rooted in a rare blend of vision, execution, and pedagogy that resonates beyond the classroom. Makoons Preschool is a beacon of exemplary success in this domain, where each franchisee’s tale is a testament to the brand’s ethos and individual pursuit of excellence.
Here, we shine a light on the journeys of Makoons Kids School franchise owners. Their narrative underscores the essence of educational investment and community building. For entrepreneurs looking to make a meaningful foray into the preschool sector, these insights offer a compass, guiding you to chart a course toward your aspirations.

Empowering Entrepreneurs in Education

Entrepreneurship in education is a distinctive pursuit, woven from threads of aspiration and societal impact. Makoons Preschool has championed this cause by empowering individuals to build not just a business, but a sanctuary of learning and personal development.

The Vision that Sparks a Venture

The collective experience of over a decade in setting up bespoke nurseries tailored for each child’s unique identity is the foundational stone of the Makoons legacy. A visionary approach, catering to holistic growth through a comprehensive curriculum, has been pivotal in stirring entrepreneurship in education.

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At the heart of Makoons philosophy lies the belief that the role of education extends beyond mere instruction; it is the catalyst for intelligence development. This mindset has permeated the venture strategies of its franchise owners, igniting a spirit of continuous learning and adaptation in the often-stagnant realm of play school education.
The trajectory of success for small franchise businesses in India is vividly illustrated through the expanding network of Makoons Preschool, a testament to how localized businesses can thrive on a national scale through dedication and an evolved educational ethos.

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The staff’s pedagogical competence extends to more than just academics; they are sculptors of character, guiding the youngsters to realize their full potential while instilling the values of compassion and social responsibility.

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Investing in a Makoons franchise is akin to sowing the seeds of a perennial plant — a venture that promises longevity and stability. The low preschool franchise cost in India, coupled with a robust support system from Makoons, makes it an enticing proposition for budding entrepreneurs in the education sector.

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The initial investment for a Makoons Kids School Franchise is designed to be accessible, ensuring a democratic entry point for individuals with varied financial capacities. The brand’s commitment to quality remains unassailable, with the relatively small outlay promising a high return on investment.
With an investment range of 10 to 15 lakhs, becoming a part of the Makoons Play School franchise family is both an attainable and wise decision for aspiring educational entrepreneurs, offering a balanced pathway to enter the rewarding realm of preschool education.

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For those looking to venture into the world of play school franchises, Makoons stands as a model to emulate. It is an institution that not only imparts knowledge to its young charges but also enriches the lives of its franchise owners, equipping them with the tools to succeed in a field that is as challenging as it is rewarding.

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Becoming a part of the Makoons family signifies a commitment to the educational ethos and a partnership poised for growth. As you consider the prospect of owning a Makoons Play School franchise in India, you are not just investing in a business venture; you are initiating a ripple effect of positive change that spans generations.
With a legacy underpinned by passion, compassion, and purpose, the franchisees of Makoons Play School have etched their stories in the annals of educational entrepreneurship. Their achievements are a beacon for those who dare to dream and an invitation to join a community that thrives on the principles of learning, leading, and legacy-building in the dynamic world of preschool education.
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Hello everyone.
I wanted to share with you just how hopeless Sony support is, especially the branches in Poland. I purchased the 75X95L along with the HT-A7000. It was one of my modest dreams which I managed to achieve by saving up a bit.
After buying the TV and connecting it with the soundbar, I noticed that a hissing noise randomly emanates from the speakers for an indeterminate moment. I browsed various forums and quickly realized that this issue is known globally. After trying to eliminate the squealing using power strips, high-quality cables, updating software, and many other tricks described on the forum, I decided to get it repaired. The TV was taken to an authorized Sony center where they acknowledged the fault and replaced the main board. Unfortunately, this didn't help. When I lodged the complaint again, I was informed that this time everything was in order - the service tested it with the HT-A3000 soundbar and advised me to buy high-quality cables. Completely two different worlds - one time blindly replacing the main board and another time asserting that everything was fine. After contacting the service, I heard that they have specific diagnostic procedures and cannot follow and try to diagnose the TV according to the scenario provided by the consumer.
Below is a video showing the squealing of my unit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaoaBKiCXX0
Has the motherboard replacement not helped any of the readers like me? I don't know what to do next, further complaints seem pointless, but I'm trying as hard as I can for SONY to finally take the matter seriously...

I apologize in advance for the long emotional unload, I just really need to voice where my head is at and put this down somewhere beyond a journal.
I absolutely adore my wife, she's truthfully the most incredible, passionate, creative and unique person I've ever met and on both good and bad days have never pictured a future that didn't include her in it. I'd walk through fire for her, and she's the person I want to navigate life with more than anything. When I think about the best moments of my life, many of them are tied to her - our first date, our second "first date", our engagement, our wedding, welcoming our child into the world and the list could go on. I had hoped to add so many more to this list.
But sadly, I've been separated from my wife for almost two months and it's quite literally been the hardest days of my life. In December I had a car accident on a particularly icy day and after went on anti-depressants in the months that followed (unrelated) but none of this matched what was to follow. Two months ago, she told me that despite being a loving, and attentive husband and partner we weren't right for each other and she wanted to separate to figure out what she wanted. I knew that we had some ups and downs like any relationship (as every relationship does), but truthfully I was blindsided, I never expected we'd get to this point because I genuinely would never give up on us (an never have even in hardships). I truly feel like when all was said and done, I've been a good husband, partner and father, standing by her in her most difficult moments and weathering the good and bad together. I know there's no one else in the picture, but I have such a hard time figuring out where and why things went wrong.
In a short span of time, I went from being home with my kids and the woman I love more than anything to being a ghost in the spare bedroom of my parents house trying to pick myself up. I started therapy, increased antidepressants, dieting and hiking, weekly check-ins with my family doctor and trying my best to just put one foot in front of the other. On a positive note, I've dropped 25 pounds (I wish I could've found an easier way to do it).
The situation feels so unfair, in a short span of time my entire life has changed and it's completely out of my control. I won't throw blame at her - she's not being vindictive, and I'd never want to try to guilt her into reconciliation. It's taken a lot to hold back on messages, calls and a desire to see her.
Last week, I truly felt like I was starting to get my feet back under me - it seemed like there was some hope that we were coming closer together, she was reaching out to me with things beyond just being about the kids. Then there was a shift, she unloaded on me about not being present enough and things are worse than ever it seems. I haven't been perfect, but I've been trying so hard to keep moving despite everything and had been told by others in my life that they though I was carrying myself well. She asked for low contact, and I though I was giving her what she wanted. When I told her I was trying and that I acknowledged that I could do more, she told me that she didn't want to reconcile and that we were done.
My son shared with me (unprompted) that his mom now figured I'm angry at her, but it couldn't be further from the truth; regardless of the hurt now or before, I've never really been angry with her. She's a passionate, fiery person who sometimes says something in the moment and regrets it after but often won't admit to that. I'm now having sleepless nights again wondering, hoping, that this is another of those moments. I don't know how to broach a conversation with her now, it feels like we're further apart than ever.
It would be so much easier if I was angry at her - heck, I want to hate her but I can't. She's my favorite person despite everything, my closest confident and the mother of my kids. I really want nothing more to tell her that I love her and miss her - that I want to fight like hell to make things work but I know that I shouldn't (or at least that's the unsolicited advice I've been given by many close to me).
Now today, I find out that my grandmother is not doing well and it could be something she doesn't come back from and I'm finding myself spiraling further and further. I want to reach out so badly to my wife, she's been my person (and I felt like I've been hers). I have family and friends but it just isn't the same. I just want my wife, my family, my home - I feel so broken.

Reading is often touted as one of the most fundamental skills a child can develop. But why is it so important, especially in the early years? Let's take a look at the importance of reading for children in the nursery and explore ten reasons why it should be a cornerstone of early childhood education.
1. Language development: Through reading, children learn new words, phrases and sentence structures, which helps them build a rich vocabulary and understand the nuances of language. This early exposure lays a strong foundation for effective communication skills later in life.
Haebix Preschool, a pioneer in language development, stands among best pre schools in india. With innovative methods, it nurtures linguistic skills in young learners, fostering communication and cognitive growth. Renowned for its holistic approach to education, Haebix is a beacon of excellence in early childhood development across the nation.
2. Cognitive development: Engaging with books stimulates various cognitive functions, including memory, attention and problem solving. As children interpret stories, make connections and predict outcomes, their cognitive skills are sharpened and critical thinking and analytical skills are enhanced.
3. Imagination and creativity: Books are portals to countless worlds, adventures and ideas. When children immerse themselves in stories, they exercise their imagination by imagining characters, settings and scenarios, which in turn boosts their creativity and innovation.
4. Emotional intelligence: Stories often deal with complex emotions and interpersonal relationships, which helps children to understand and manage their feelings. Through the characters' experiences, children learn empathy, resilience and how to deal with life's ups and downs.
5. Bonding and socialization: Reading together fosters a strong bond between children and caregivers. It is a special time of bonding, conversation and shared experiences and reinforces the importance of relationships and social interactions.
6. Cultural awareness: Books offer insights into different cultures, traditions and perspectives. Exposure to literature from around the world expands children's understanding of the human experience and promotes tolerance, acceptance and global awareness.
Haebix preschool in greater noida is renowned for its focus on cultural awareness. Through diverse activities and celebrations, it fosters a rich understanding of traditions and values from around the world. At Haebix, children not only learn academics but also develop respect and appreciation for different cultures, promoting global citizenship from an early age.
7. Preparing for school: Reading readiness is a critical aspect of preparing children for formal education. By introducing letters, sounds, and basic reading and writing concepts early, children in kindergarten develop the foundational skills they need to succeed in school.
8. Lifelong learning: Instilling a love of reading from an early age sets the stage for lifelong learning and personal growth. Children who love to read are more likely to acquire knowledge, explore new interests and continue their education beyond the classroom.
9. Better focus: In a world full of distractions, the ability to focus is invaluable. Reading requires sustained attention and helps children improve their ability to concentrate, which can benefit them in various areas of life, from academics to everyday tasks.
10. Academic success: Numerous studies have established a link between early reading skills and academic achievement later in life. Children who start reading early tend to do better in school, excel in language arts and develop a solid foundation for learning in all subjects.
At Haebix Preschool, we prioritize reading as a fundamental aspect of early childhood education. Our curriculum includes a rich selection of age-appropriate books and literacy activities designed to instill a lifelong love for reading in every child. Through storytelling, group reading sessions, and interactive learning experiences, we aim to nurture confident, curious, and engaged young readers who are ready to embark on a journey of discovery and exploration.
So reading is not just a pastime, but a fundamental skill that shapes children's development in many ways. From language and cognitive skills to social-emotional growth and academic success, the benefits of reading in kindergarten are profound and far-reaching. By fostering a culture of reading from the earliest years, we empower children to explore, learn and thrive in a rapidly changing world. So let's open the doors to the enchanting world of books and send our little ones on a lifelong journey of discovery and imagination.

I hate being told what to do and not do, what to say and not say, I want to be a pure, unfiltered and unbridled ball of pure energy and chaos, a little gremlin of destruction
I reject anyone who tries to control me, who tries to control others, I will stand up for the rights of others, I reject hypocrisy, I embrace freedom
I want to explore and experience all this world has to offer, I want to learn as much as I can, create beautiful works of music and art and writing, I want to be perceived as beautiful, I want to be the best at what I do, envied and admired because I fear being unloved and the more people that love me then the more people I can lose and still have more people loving me than if I started with less, I greatly fear abandonment and sometimes suppress myself to be accepted and I’ve recently decided I’m done hiding who I am
I have a tendency to overshare because I’m filled with constant anxiety and the need to share, it’s hard to not overshare because it feels like if I hide the negative aspects of myself from others, the dark twisted morbid thoughts and desires that I have no idea if they are true or merely intrusive thoughts I have deluded myself into thinking are true, if I don’t share that stuff it feels like I am being inauthentic but oversharing leads to losing friends and I greatly fear that
I have lashed out in the past for people abandoning me, adopted crusades of vengeance to ensure no one would want to be friends with those who abandoned me, I have since learned to not be vengeful and petty and to just accept that I don’t want to be friends with people who don’t want to be friends with me, and to accept they are bad people and undeserving of my friendship even if they are not bad and it’s actually me who’s bad if I tell myself they are bad then I am less likely to miss them regardless if them being bad is true or false
I want some close friends we can be our unbridled chaotic selves with together, deeply passionate and intimate, fiery in nature, loyal, and if I can’t find such friends I must distract myself from the pain of loneliness by any means necessary and I find that having high standards for myself which can be difficult and unlikely to achieve such as being the best at everything, the most beautiful person, rich and famous, to have goals like that that I am confident I can achieve despite those goals being difficult to achieve
to me those goals provide a distraction from my suffering, I’m tired of whining all the time, I want to act, I don’t want to be ordinary, to be like everyone else, I don’t exactly have a stable sense of self right now because of unmet mental health issues but to have no identity is terrifying
I rather die unknown and authentic than known and fake, if I am not unique then if someone loves me, how can I feel loved if what can be loved in me can be found in millions of others, if there’s nothing unique about me, then there is nothing uniquely me to love, I am me, I want to be loved for what is uniquely me, not for what millions of others possess
that’s another reason I want to be the best at what I do, beautiful, not everyone can be multi-talented so to me being so makes me more unique
I want to delve into many things, experience and learn many things deeply, to explore the fine details of stuff, to explore with all my senses, to not just dream about stuff but to actualize it, I’m very perfectionistic with my creative works
I wish I could live in whatever fictional/fantasy world I wanted, life can be outright boring and miserable at times and I must make the most of it
right now I am a very pessimistic miserable person, but I am just as equally if not moreso optimistic, I worry a lot, worrying about being a bad person, that I will never be happy and often feel I will have no choice but to end myself soon, but as long as I believe in myself and that good things will happen, it gives me hope, having goals that even I admit are highly delusional, gives me motivation to live
it gives me purpose, I can’t stand being without a purpose in life, I can’t stand being controlled, and I can’t stand having no identity, I want to spread my wings and be free, experience as much as possible before I perish, that is the only way to distract myself from pain, that’s why I want friends, I want to be loved and wanted, I want to help others and for others to be willing to help me
I hate suffering even for those who deserve worse than what they have received, and I do at times take pleasure in it, but I know it’s wrong to, I believe even the worst of people can change for the better and I will support them in doing so even if I will always hate them for what they did and never forgive them in a trillion years of good acts because nothing they could do can undo the harm they have caused
but even when I hate them I will support them in trying to be a good person as long as their desire is genuine, and not in a “them doing evil stuff mistaking it for goodness” kind of way, I mean like a person who used to murder now fighting to defend people’s lives and stop murders from happening and to catch serial killers, to catch people who they used to be like
I will support them in that even if I hate them and will never forgive them
sometimes I just wanna do nothing, sometimes I just wanna relax and give up on life, to do nothing, and dissociate from reality
but I don’t feel comfortable like that for long, I need excitement in my life, I have a lot of energy and love and creativity to share with others and the world, I must be unfiltered and uncontrolled, I must not merely survive, I must thrive, that is what it means to live, I will sacrifice my health and safety to experience the chaotic fun and affection I oh so desire, to be unloved is better than to be bored and miserable and unable to be authentic, to live without passion and excitement is truly miserable, relationships, food, those are merely tools for me to be able to experience excitement
I want friends to love deeply whom I’d never trade for the world, I want to experience intense, overwhelming affection for them, the euphoria of intense emotion and experience I desire greatly
i hate who I am now, I am a broken, flawed, ineffectual, bland, annoying person, lacking any energy to do anything with my life, I want to be how I described myself, chaotic, fun, imaginative, unique
I fully believe that who I am right now is not me, who I wish to be is the real me, the me I am too shy to express right now and need to develop the confidence to become
right now all I do is whine and complain about not being able to be who I want to be, experience and feel what I want to
I greatly envy others, those who aren’t broken and flawed like me, I wish they’d envy me, I wanna be fucking chaotic to the point of mental instability, I wanna live in the extremities, I don’t want to be perfect, I want to be flawed and broken, just not in a boring, constantly whiny way, I want to be broken in a beautiful way to be coveted and envied by others, for someone to see my broken state and be compelled to comfort me rather than try to change me, to save me by accepting me as I am
I have unstable sense of self and goals in life, the only one constant is that I want to be happy and to avoid pain unless it benefits me, sadness, anger, joy, all emotions are beautiful but when there is only one it becomes stale and overwhelming and suffocating
if there is only misery there is no happiness and if there is no misery the happiness becomes normalized and no longer feels euphoric because there is no sadness to contrast it
I want to suffer, just not forever and not too much, I just want to have a reason to live, to be happy, to have a purpose in life, I don’t want to die but if I have no reason to live what choice do I have
while my greatest fear in life is being unloved, my greatest desire is actually not social connection, it’s experiencing the intensity of life, intense experiences, intense emotions, I want a variety of experiences, to feel them in depth, a life without constant, intense excitement feels utterly restrictive and boring
most friendships do not satisfy me, I feel quite bored in most because most people do not satisfy my need for excitement, I’ll still stay friends because even a lack luster friend can still be more fun than no friend, but like I often say “I have no friends” or “nobody loves me” even when both are false because I do not have the friends I want and am not loved by who I want to love me
as I said, I want friends I can be deeply intimate with, fiery passion, unfiltered chaos, a complete lack of care of what others think of us, bold, confrontational, erotic
I don’t care how many friends I have, what matters is that they are intense and exciting, my desire for “many people worshipping me like I’m a fucking god because I fear being unloved” is a goal I am perfectly fine being without as long as I have the intense friendships, in fact that desire for “as many friends as possible” is nothing more than a way to deal with my loneliness, a worst case scenario for “I can’t find any interesting people to befriend so might as well get my excitement from a bunch of people loving me and worshiping me, but even then I still feel empty because there’s no one interesting for me to bond with”
to me social interaction is nothing more than a means for me to find people who I deem to be fun and interesting and to have as much intense, chaotic fun with them as possible, and if I have to sacrifice my health and safety to achieve that, i will 10/10 times
and if I have to cut off all my friends just to be able to hang out with 1 interesting person, I will do that 10/10 times
I can’t live without that constant source of excitement, I rather be alone than bored, which is why if I can neither find exciting friends or experience any kind of excitement to the extent that I want to, I will end my life without any hesitation whatsoever
if life does not life up to my ideals I must die, I have no interest in a boring, monotone life
I have friends but I’m lonely because they’re not the friends I want, they’re the ones I have because there’s no other people for me to hang with at the moment and friends > no friends
I want to be intensely desired, sometimes to the point of my wants and needs being ignored because the person desires me so much they want me for themselves and don’t care about whether I want to be with them or not
I want to have as much fun and chaos as possible in life

So guys, today I made a tier list discussing which Pokemon are edible and which are not. I have researched this list to the best of my abilities, but I could be wrong.
https://imgur.com/gallery/how-edible-are-gen-1-pokemon-IjU6Q9w
Before we get started with this list, we will discuss the five categories. Inedible, Probably Edible, Exotic, Commonly Eaten, and Confirmed to be Eaten. I'm sure that "inedible" and "probably edible" need no explanation, but let's discuss the other three terms.

• "Exotic" means it CAN be eaten and it's SAFE to eat, but people will call you a weirdo for eating these just because it's "not normal".
• "Commonly Eaten" are the kinds of food that NORMIES will eat. Of COURSE you're gonna eat em' if you were asked to. Nobody's gonna say "no" to eating a BIRD!
• "Confirmed to be Eaten" means that no matter HOW WEIRD it is to eat, it CAN be eaten because it has been confirmed to be eaten from POKEMON THEMSELVES!

With those rules out of the way, LETSA GO!
Inedible

• Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venasaur are based off of Toads and Poisonous Plants. When you combine the two, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they can't be eaten.
• Weedle and Kakuna are poisonous caterpillars.
• Jigglypuff and Wigglytuff are balloons, which can not be eaten.
• Gloom and Veiliplume are weeds that steal nutrients.
• Paras and Parasect are LITERALLY parasites!
• Venonat... Venomoth... do I have to explain why the creatures with VENOM in the names can not be eaten...?
• Here's where things get tricky. At first, it's hard to tell WHAT the Abra line is. They might look like LIZARD FOXES at first, but upon closer inspection, these three actually USED to be HUMANS... AND they're in the HUMAN-LIKE Egg Group! Eating a person is not only immoral, but cannibalism can also make you sick. By all accounts, the Abra line is inedible.
• The same thing can be said about the Machop line. They are LITERALLY buff people, AND they are in the Human-Like Egg Group. They can NOT be eaten!
• Bellsprout is a poisonous flower, so it can't be eaten just yet. It has to mature in order for it to be eaten.
• The Geodude line are boulders, so they can't be eaten for obvious reasons.
• Diglet and Dugtrio are moles, which are not safe to eat.
• I don't need to explain why you can't eat magnets, right? Good.
• The Muk line are just... piles of poison... that's it...
• You literally cannot eat ghosts.
• As a snake, Onix would typically be edible... if it weren't made of boulders...
• Hypno and Drowzee look like animals at first glance, but they are actually in the Human-Like Egg Group.
• The Voltorb line are literally just bombs, and not the kind that you chew from the bubblegum machine.
• Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are literally just FIGHTING PEOPLE, and they are in the Human-Like Egg Group! N-O-P-E!
• The Koffing line are poisonous gasses. I challenge you to find a person who will eat it.
• The Rhydon line is made of rocks, so how are you gonna eat them?
• Mr. Mime and Jynx are LITERALLY PEOPLE, and they're in the Human-Like egg group!
• Elekid and Elektabuzz are electric Onis. How are you gonna eat them?!
• Finally, we have Porygon. You will never be able to eat code in a krillion years.

Probably Edible

• Clefairy and Clefable are two Pokemon I hate with a burning passion, and as much as I would LOVE to eat them, it's difficult to tell if they're actually edible since you can't actually tell what it's supposed to be. A cat...? An Axolotl...? What happens if you eat it?
• The entire Nidoran line is made up of a mix of various edible mammals, which seems like an obvious thing to eat... except for one problem... they're made of poison... and you can't tell which parts are edible or not.
• Lickitung is another weird one for me. Tongues are DEFINITELY edible, but I can't tell what Lickitung is supposed to be, and the tongue itself is full of bacteria. I guess you can cook off the bacteria... it's also a monster... but... what even is it...?
• Ditto is the weirdest case of them all, since it can transform into anything. But... what happens if it transforms into a pineapple and then cut it? What if it transforms after you eat it? What if you eat a ditto on its own?

Exotic

• The Charmander line is based off of salamanders.
• The Squirtle line is based off of turtles. They are hard to find as food, but they are completely edible.
• Caterpillars, Cocoons, and Butterflies are COMPLETELY edible. I actually ATE a caterpillar before.
• Despite Weedle and Kakuna being poisonous, bees are COMPLETELY edible!
• Rattata and Raticate are mice, which are edible.
• If you can eat rattlesnakes in the real world, you can DEFINITELY eat Ekans and Arbok.
• Pikachu and Raichu are mice.
• Sandshrew and Sandslash are Pangolins. They may be endangered, but they CAN be eaten.
• Vulpix and Ninetales are foxes. As controversial as they are to eat, they are DEFINITELY edible.
• Zubat and Golbat are bats. They are a very controversial dish because they are rumored to be linked to several diseases, but that is yet to be confirmed.
• Cats are controversial, but they can still be eaten. Meowth from Team Rocket may be able to talk, but this is the exception and not the rule.
• Monkeys are eaten all over the world.
• Growlithe and Archanine are dogs. You can eat them, but try eating them around someone else without starting a fight. I dare you.
• The Polywag line are tadpoles, which are completely edible.
• Carnivorous Plants and Venus Flytraps are protected by law, but they are Venus Flytraps and DEFINITELY edible!
• Jellyfish are not only safe to eat, but they are also healthy for you as well.
• People don't like to eat horse meat, but it ain't gonna hurt you.
• Ostriches and Emus are quite the exotic treat!
• People don't like to eat Seals because they are cute, but you can still eat them.
• The Cubone Line is implied to be inspired by reptiles, and THEY can be eaten!
• Chansey is an Axolotl, and as much as I LOVE Axolotls, I still hate THIS thing! It's a good thing it can be eaten.
• Kangaroos are edible.
• Seahorses are edible too.
• It's hard to imagine a starfish as "edible", but you can still see them being consumed on the street.
• Syther is a praying mantis and Pinsir is a stag beetle. Both of these bugs are safe to eat.
• Eevee and its evolutions are based off of rabbits, cats, and foxes. Eating one would DEFINITELY be controversial, but not impossible.
• Mew and Mewtwo are based off of cats, and incredibly smart ones at that. However, not only are they not people, but they are also not even from this world. If you ask me, I'd say that eating a Mewtwo would do more good than harm, since Mewtwo is known to be evil. Eating Mew... uh... let's just say an angry mob would be at your door...
• I put Omastar in the wrong tier...
• Snorlax is a bear, and you can probably eat whatever's inside its stomach too! It's probably the most ethical Pokemon to eat, since it won't even feel the pain while it's asleep.
• Dratini and Dragonair are lizard snakes. They can be eaten.

Commonly Eaten

• The Pidgey line, the Psyduck line, the Spearow line, Magmar, and the legendary Bird Trio are all birds, and it wouldn't be controversial to eat them. Far'Fetched even comes with a LEEK, so you can have a complete meal with THAT!
• Oddish is an onion/raddish. Unlike its evolutions, Oddish is safe to eat.
• Clampearl and Cloyster are CLAMS! Krabby and Kingler are CRABS! Goldeen, Seaking, Magykarp, and Gyrados are all FISH! Omantyke, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops are SHELLFISH! Seafood is even LESS controversial than regular meat!
• I put Aerodactyl in the wrong tier by mistake because not everyone likes to eat lizards, but it's still safe to eat.
• The Exeggute line are... well... EGGS!
• Taurus is a bull/cow.
• Tanglea is seaweed spaghetti, and is said to taste like mint.

CONFIRMED TO BE EATEN!

• Slowpoke Tail is confirmed to be a delicacy from Generation One, and Slowbro, while he doesn't have a tail, is still a mix between a lizard and a hippo.
• Lapras is confirmed to be hunted for meat.

Finally...
If there was only ONE Pokemon from Gen 1 I could eat, it would be Dragonite. Not only do I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT, but it would also be delicious to eat. Admit it, you'd wanna eat a Dragonite too.

Hey guys! Let us take a little break from the shitstorm that's Modern Horizons 3's leakage and have some fun. We all know and love the three-colored combinations. Whether we control the board while slamming huge artifacts in Esper or we attack for the win in Mardu, it's quite easy to see why it's awesome to play three colors. We know what they do mechanically. But what about their philosophy? What are those colors standing for? To make this really fun, let us associate this with a common trope or type of character. Let's start with the shards.

• Esper (WUB) - Esper is the mysterious antihero. Esper is the guy that comes into your salloon on Thunder Junction and you suddenly see all your patrons hiding in barrels or jumping through windows. You know his reputation. You know he could tear you and your salloon a new asshole if he wanted. But you also know he lives by a code. He has the power, he has the knowledge, and he's really messed up. But he tries, in his frustrating ways, to better the world. Media examples: Dexter Morgan, Stannis Baratheon, Magneto
  
• Grixis (UBR) - Oh boy... Grixis is a bully. But he's not your typical bully who used to give you wedgies in middle school while laughing with his idiotic jock friends. He doesn't do that shit... personally. For Grixis, is way more fun to make you believe he's your friend and then make you do stupid crap. He's charismatic. He's fun. He's wicked smart. He's a rulebreaker. He calls the teacher an asshole to his face. But following him and getting to know him, you realize he doesn't care about you. He's a narcissist. He only cares about himself. Grixis wants power and control. You are just his means to an end. Media examples: Greg Heffley (come on, you have to be a Multiverse-conquering Grixis psycho to hurt Rowley), Emperor Palpatine, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
  
• Jund (BRG) - If Grixis is the manipulative villain, Jund is the minion who asks "why should we sneak around when we can kill them now?" That village sits right on that mana-rich deposit you want to tap in and they don't want to evacuate? Send Jund. He'll clean up the village. Jund is rage, passion, and hatred all in one crazy package. For Jund, might makes right and if you've no might, you'll get his right... in your face. But Jund's not totally brainless. Jund loves freedom and, as powerful minions often do, scoffs at being a minion. That green part of him keeps him grounded, preventing him from giving in to his darkest urges, like Rakdos might do. Media examples: Sarah Kerrigan (Infected), Tuco Salamanca, pretty much any monstrous beast that acts on instinct...
  
• Naya (RGW) - Naya is the rebel (with or) without a cause. For Naya, freedom is the most important thing, even more important than Jund. While Jund wants freedom for himself, Naya wants freedom for all. Naya is the guy who runs naked through a packed stadium with "Stop big oil" written on his asscheeks. Naya is the ecoterrorist. If your plane's leader turns into a dictator, Naya will be the first to rebel against them. While an individualist, he can fight together with others if that means achieving his purpose. Media examples: Wildlings from ASOIAF, pretty much any Brujah vampire from VTM that hasn't fallen to the Sabbat and so on...
  
• Bant (GWU) - You're in the schoolyard and two of your classmates are having at it. All your fellow students are yelling "fight! fight!" You're the one who yells "Stop! Why can't we all be friends? Teacher!" Congratulations! You're Bant. Bant is the idealistic nerd. He believes in the rule of law. Bant thinks the Multiverse will be improved tremendously if only everyone will drop their weapons and hold hands. But that doesn't necessarily means Bant's defenseless. He's charismatic and his nice and optimistic nature helps him gain a lot of friends. Bant might not harm you. His fresh-out-of-prison friend, pierced from head to cock, will certainly do. Media examples: Rowley Jefferson (take that, Grixis Heffley!), Neville Longbottom, the Tau from 40K.
  

Now... the wedges!

• Abzan (WBG) - It's Thanksgiving Day and your Aunt Selesnya comes to dinner. You know what's going to happen. She's going to talk your ear off about how society isn't what it used to be anymore, how healthy values are thrown into the garbage for new, shiny stuff that will end up ruining society, how people today are too individualistic and don't give a shit about community. Then she's got too many beers and falls asleep... but Uncle Abzan, on the other hand, doesn't fall asleep. He agrees with what Selesnya's saying but unlike her, he's got the power and the ambition to change society according to his views. Abzan is making a webpage. Abzan's gathering followers. Abzan appeals to those in society who think like him. Abzan's creating a cult. Abzan takes control. It will take years, as Abzan's conservativism will not want sudden change. He's not Izzet, for fuck's sake, right? It will take years. But he'll manage it. Media examples: Logan Roy, Nurgle
  
• Sultai (BGU) - Sultai looks at the world with disgust. To alleviate some of it, he starts eating a banana. But... it lacks something. A bit more... je ne sais quoi, a bit more... more! He'll know it when he'll feel it. But how to modify that banana to be what Sultai wants it to be? Well, he'll enslave a village, use the villagers' blood in an arcane experiment, and create the perfect banana. If Sultai believes something can be improved, he'll do it at any cost. The entire Multiverse is his banana and we are Sultai's villagers. Media examples: Apocalypse, Clan Tzimisce from VTM
  
• Temur (GUR) - Temur is the dashing wilderness explorer, going where no man (or elf... or dragon) has ever gone. He's curious, courageous, clever, and comely. So many C's, he makes Kozilek envious. Temur feels at home both in a lab and in a bear cave. He's not afraid of pushing boundaries but he's mostly well-meaning. Media examples: Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Reed Richards.
  
• Jeskai (URW) - You're a young kid whose ass was kicked by some punks. You want to never have to experience something like this ever again. Thus, you want to train, both your body and your mind. Here comes Jeskai-san. He's wise. He's seen things. He's done things. He trains you. He's an asshole. He makes you wipe the floorboards. You see no sense in it. But when the time comes for you to wipe the board, who better than someone versed in Jeskai's ways to do so? Media examples: Miyagi-san, Hank McCoy
  
• Mardu (RWB) - Remember that Thanksgiving dinner? Well, here comes Uncle Mardu and boy, he makes Selesnya and Abzan seem like well-balanced folks. Mardu's a military man, like his father and his grandfather all the way to an obscure 19th century lieutenant that served in the Union Army and then retired to a farm in Rhode Island or something (but your Uncle Mardu knows everything about him). Mardu sees you and thrashes your parents for raising a "sissy". He tells you to eat more meat to gain muscles. The Army has no need of matchsticks. Mardu is a warrior through and through. His troops hate his fucking guts but they know he's efficient. He's not nice, though. Media examples: Pretty much most of the 40K Imperial Commissars, Madara Uchiha
  

Whoa! That's pretty long. What's your take on shard/wedges type of characters/philosophies? Do you have any other examples?

Welcome to Reading The Big Book of Cyberpunk!
Each week we (u/FarragutCircle and u/fanny_bertram) will be reading 5-ish stories from Jared Shurin’s The Big Book of Cyberpunk, which includes a curated selection of cyberpunk stories written from 1950 to 2022! We’ll include synopses of the stories along with links to any legally available online versions we can find. Feel free to read along with us or just stop by and hear our thoughts about some cyberpunk stories to decide if any of them sound interesting to you.
Every once in a while, we reach out to people who have more insight, due to being fans of the author or have some additional context for the story. (Or we just tricked them into it.) So please welcome u/Kopratic who will be sharing their thoughts on "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick!
Section 4: Challenge
In our fourth and penultimate section, editor Jared Shurin highlights how cyberpunk looks at technology that creates harm when put into practice, and later cites Marshall McLuhan about artists as challengers. (Shurin really seems to like this McLuhan guy.) Amusingly there’s a footnote where he mentions litrpg in passing, though he says there’s no litrpg in this anthology)
“We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick (published 1966; also available in his collection Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick)
Quail’s desire to go to Mars leads him to a memory-implant company so he can remember going to Mars, but complications and revelations and twists ensue, hilariously.

• Special Guest Kopratic: So this guy really wants to go to Mars, but it’s pretty dang expensive. Fortunately, what’s not as expensive is paying a company to trick him into thinking he’s been to Mars by implanting false memories into his mind. Unfortunately, things go wrong, and before he writes up a scathing Yelp review, he gets his money back, his wife leaving him, and his life falling apart.
• It’s a story I’ve read before. Not this exact, specific story, but the bones of it. Virtually visiting another time or place. It’s never real, but they tend to beg the question: Do memories create reality? Maybe this particular story was one that inspired, even if indirectly, the others. Maybe it’s a trope that had been used before, and the author was just putting his own spin on it like the ones that came after.
• I did like it. I thought that it was annoying how the secretary was described as being topless in practically every scene she was in. It went from, “Oh in this society that’s a normal thing, and body paint is a sort of fashion item” to “...we get it.” It was a minor part of the story at least.
• The twists were pretty good, too. There’s a moment where you start to question things alongside the protagonist. Maybe the false memories did work. He’s not supposed to know they’re fake, but he does. But he also has things that can’t possibly be explained by ways of “implanted memories.” Or maybe they can. Even until the very end, the story keeps you guessing. It did a good job of keeping the tension alive.
• In a sense, the story asks the question, “What is reality?” and fits in nicely as an entry into the realm of cyberpunk.
  
• Farragut’s thoughts: We’ve read Dick before in Science Fiction. Between that story and this, if I hadn’t read two of his novels already, I would’ve thought Dick was a comedic SF writer because of how funny I’ve found his short fiction so far. I vaguely recall (ha!) having seen the movie Total Recall, but I’m not sure PKD has ever had a faithful adaptation of his works. Anyway, this is just a fun story—not as wild as the film, but just a plain fun examination of memory and reality.
  
• fanny’s thoughts: The editor points out that each filming of Total Recall gets worse and this is correct. I had never read the story and I did like it despite it being a story I have seen before. Dick did a great job of making the reader doubt memories and the reality for the character. There are a lot of careful details throughout the short story that play with this concept and add to the general confusion of what is real. The story is not the most amazing thing, but it is very well done and a bit twisty.
  

“Speed” by Misha (1988)
I think that Speed is looking for Speelyi-427 on behalf of a computer AI called Juno 888, but after that I’m lost.

• Farragut: We’ve read Misha before in Science Fiction. She’s a very cyberpunky type author, but I’ll be darned if I understand half of what’s going on here. There’s data as currency, there’s an all powerful computer named Juno 888 (I think?), there’s a car chase with a barbed-wire tripwire at neck level (ouch), there’s indigenous ghost dancers, and I had a hell of a time connecting the dots. It didn’t help that for the first couple pages I didn’t realize Speed was the character’s name, which made the story even more abstract at first. I absolutely know there’s someone out there who loves the crap out of experimental/transcendental stuff like this, but it wasn’t me.
  
• fanny: I was beyond confused reading this one. For half the story I thought the character was the computer, 888, but then I realized it was Speed. I am not sure that helped though. I feel like this was too experimental for me and it just missed the mark. The good part of this was the trading in data and the trying to steal data, which was an interesting technology application.
  

“Computer Friendly” by Eileen Gunn (1989; also available in her collection Stable Strategies and Others)
Elizabeth and other kids are tested, and while she passes with flying covers, her new friends might lose their lives unless she can figure out a way to help them in a world where the heavily computerized future uses real brains from people and dogs.

• Farragut: Gunn is an oft-nominated writer (including for this story), but ended up winning the 2005 Nebula for “Coming to Terms”. I really loved this bizarre future (she’ll play computer fetch with her dog when he has downtime from managing data traffic), and Elizabeth is an adorable character to follow as she navigates the shocking new revelations about her world. The help she gets from some of the obscure entities on the network is perfect, especially when they realize that their current world is a little too predictable these days. Highly recommended, especially for Elizabeth’s “hacking” methods.
  
• fanny: I loved this story and following Elizabeth through it all. Elizabeth is a fierce, determined little girl who doesn't want anything bad to happen to her friends. She goes to extremes for this and gets help from the weirdest sources within the network system. The net system, entities, and the world are so well thought out and carefully crafted. It felt fully realized which is unusual for me to find in a short story. Absolute loved this one.
  

“I Was a Teenage Genetic Engineer” by Nisi Shawl (1989)
The narrator is imprisoned for her reckless genetic engineering, making new incarnations of old gods.

• Farragut: Shawl is a multiple-award-winning author and has done a lot of work on promoting diversity in SF/F. A very short story (under a thousand words), it’s also got a very mythic and poetic tone to it, like a confession as a parable. Very evocative, with lots of classical allusions.
  
• fanny: Such a short story and such a unique concept. I liked that the main character made the entire Pantheon and unleashed the Greek gods back on the world. I found the description of creating Psyche the best part. This story is a bit experimental, but worked for me.
  

“The Gene Drain” by Lewis Shiner (1989)
A generation ship ends up right back on Earth, with disturbing and amusing differences between the two groups.

• Farragut: Shiner was a member of the Turkey City Writer’s Workshop which is considered a “cradle of cyberpunk”. This story was quite amusing, and you can see the differences between the overly-technological humans on Earth and the extremely weird worshippers of Johnny Carson. The author does a great job of encapsulating all the changes since the ship left in little throwaway lines, and the ending was both disturbing and funny.
  
• fanny: I found the whole premise quite ridiculous, but a nice way to show how too much technology can change society. The worshippers of Johnny Carson return to earth and manage to get a leader who has a bad experience with tech. The extremes he is willing to go to is both realistic and slightly disturbing. The ending is amusing, but it is serious too. I like how Shiner balanced absurdity with real society challenges. But also cult of Carson.
  

That’s it for this week! Check back the same time next week where we’ll be reading and discussing "Deep Eddy" by Bruce Sterling, "The Yuletide Cyberpunk Yarn, or Christmas_Eve-117.DIR" by Victor Pelevin, "Wonderama" by Bef, "comp.basilisk FAQ" by David Langford, and "Spider's Nest" by Myra Çakan.
Also posted on Bochord Online.

Used to be such a big NBA that has faded some over the years because of a busier schedule and other hobbies/ obligations consuming my free time. This season I start follow a little bit again from a distance and have really been wanting to get into watch the playoffs but it’s just impossible with some of these start times… nuggets game tonight starts at 10:30pm est on a Tuesday. How in the world would any normal human on the east or even central time be able to watch that game? Minnesota is on central time which is a 9:30 pm start. That is not even a friendly time for one of the teams in the series. Maybe I’m just getting old, but it seems only the unemployed and millionaires can manage these times. I get it’s tuff with time changed and not wanting to overlap games but what could be done to help mitigate this?

My experience with Michelin in a complicated one. Having gone to one, two, and three Michelin star restaurants across the globe, I've seen Michelin do some great things for restaurants, but I've also seen them bring the demise of others.
Because it's quite apparent what good things come from being highlighted by Michelin, this post is more focused on some of my criticisms of the Michelin guide, and why I think the current structure of Michelin should be changed.
Maintaining "Michelin's definition" of the gold standard..
There have been a ton of amazing restaurants given a one star review. Restaurants don't even need to be "fine dining" to be given a Michelin star, as highlighted by some of the cheap eats that have received a one star review.
But a one star review, can at times, be a curse for restaurants. Often, restaurants receive one star reviews got there by showcasing there strengths. A passion for food and creativity, a desire to share culture or tradition, or an expression of a personal brand of art.
When a restaurant receives a one star review, two things happen.

1. They begin to get huge influx of customers. Initially.
2. They start to be compared to other one star restaurants, sometimes even two or three star.

The majority of the time, when a restaurant receives a one star review, the rapidly get a ton of customers wanting to try them. And in just a few months, they start to raise prices. Because money can change people.
And eventually, they start to act as more of a "tourist attraction", and start to lose the original loyal clientele that brought them to where they were in the first place.
Secondly, they begin to compare themselves to the standards of other "higher" Michelin star restaurants.
And that typically means focusing more on a particular brand of fine dining. Hyper-attentive service, an overuse of "micro complex food"(emulsions, purees, colorful vegetation). Just to name a few.
I've seen this unfortunately happen time and time again.
If your customers wanted to go to a Eleven Madison Park, they'd travel to New York. But don't turn your restaurant into a chain of fine dining. You'll start to lose the allure, and it starts to feel like the routine of Mcdonalds or Capital Grille.
​
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To preface this post, I want to give the disclaimer that like many things, there is not a black and white answer the question. I'm writing this as an experienced tech professional, and the information provided is based on opinion.
To start with. A little bit of history..
The golden age of software engineering(and similar jobs) is over. At least for the next 5 - 10 years. I don't think this is an unpopular opinion. The reason why between the years of 2010 - 2022, these jobs exploded, was because of the boom of the internet for commercial and personal use.
This is different from the dotcom boom of 2000s, where the internet was just starting and most of the products being created were for basic things like: putting banking on the internet, putting videos on the internet, etc.
The boom in the 2010s was related to the widespread popularity of commercial and personal products. Things like Uber, Spotify, and Salesforce. With the sudden increased usage of the digital world, there were MILLIONS of companies rushing to create digital products.
However, we're starting to see the rise and fall of some of these products, millions of startups failings, and less VC funding. In case you don't know, VC stands for Venture Capital, which are basically investment companies that give money to other companies to help them grow and develop, in return for partial ownership of the company.
As the industry began to mature, successful companies started to emerge, and many more started to fail.
The present day..
Software engineering and like jobs will continue to be important, and there will be a high demands for these engineers. Nearly every company will still need a website, a place to manage their data, and people to manage their hardware. BUT.. the basic technologies they need to run their company will become more efficient. AND there will be less research and innovation because the a lot of the trial and error already occurred.
We're in a weird spot where the demand for workers is now decreasing from it's recent peaks, and the supply of workers is now increasing because of how all the benefits of being a software engineer in the past decade.
This has really unfortunate consequences for any recent graduates or others trying to break into the tech field. There are WAY more beginning career people than jobs available. Which is made even worse with the amount of layoffs there are, where mid-level employees are now having to settle for entry level jobs.
What can we do?
I have two pieces of advice for people interested in the topic, or wanting to break into the field but can't. Try breaking in from a adjacent field, where you can get some exposure to tech. Things that data entry, analytics(this can be finance, supply chain etc). Then try to learn as much as you can from the tech people at your company.
The second piece of advice. Go into a different field. Software engineering is not for everyone. You have to learn and understand some relatively complex topics, and it's becoming harder and harder to be competitive in the industry. Healthcare, supply chain, and many other industries are booming right now.
Understanding history, you can see that certain industries will rise and fall. For the near future, technology might be one of the harder careers to break into. Something like healthcare would be that's expected to grow exponentially. The average population of the world is getting older, as less and less people are wanting to have kids. There will be higher demand for healthcare professionals and healthcare technology.
Do your best to review and understand these trends, and hopefully you can create a good life and career. Best of luck!
​
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This is a hypothetical question mostly for fun. If you think the society is impossible to organise what do you think would happen?
Notes: It is impossible to get off the island. The island has basic resources for most of you to survive if distributed correctly. The people are chosen evenly at random from all over the world. That means there is like few more men than women and there is about 177 chinese, 175 indians, 93 europeans, 42 americans etc. Same with age and religious distribution.
Also for the sake of hypothetical. Lets say nobody questions how or why they ended up on the island and just accepts it for what it is.

This week, we're celebrating International Coaching Week, and I thought it'd be the perfect occasion to delve deep into what exactly happens in a coaching session. Many see coaching as a simple conversation, but it's so much more—it's a transformative journey tailored to empower you, whether in your personal life or professional career. Today, I want to unpack the "anatomy" of a coaching session and explore how it can catalyze profound change. #CoachingWeek2024 #PersonalGrowth

1. The Structure of a Session

Every coaching session has its unique flow, yet they all follow a certain structure to ensure maximum impact. Here’s a typical breakdown:
Establishing a Coaching Agreement: This is where we set the stage, aligning on expectations and confidentiality. It's the foundation of trust and openness. Setting the Agenda: Unlike a casual chat, every session has a purpose, defined by you. What's the main issue you want to tackle? This gives us direction. Exploring Options: Through powerful questioning and active listening, we dive deep into the heart of the matter, uncovering possibilities and new perspectives. Committing to Action: The session culminates in defining actionable steps that align with your goals, ensuring that insight translates into real-world progress. 2. Techniques That Drive Transformation
Powerful Questioning: It’s about asking the right questions, not giving advice. These questions provoke thought, challenge assumptions, and uncover underlying beliefs. Active Listening: This is where the coach listens not just to the words but to the emotions, the unsaid, creating a space where you feel truly heard and understood. 3. Outcomes You Can Expect
Clarified Goals: It’s common to start with a vague idea of what you want. Coaching helps crystallize those thoughts into clear, attainable goals. Actionable Insights: Beyond insights, you get a concrete plan of action, steps you can take to move forward towards your goals. Enhanced Self-Awareness: Often, you’ll discover things about yourself you weren’t conscious of before, opening up new paths of personal and professional growth. Why Share This?
I'm passionate about the transformative power of coaching and believe in sharing knowledge and experiences to help others grow. Whether you're curious about coaching, considering becoming a coach, or looking for ways to enhance your personal development journey, I hope this insight into coaching sessions helps illuminate the path.
Let's Engage
Have you ever experienced a coaching session that led to a significant breakthrough? Or perhaps you have questions about the process? I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and queries. Let’s start a conversation that helps us all grow and learn.
A Bit About Me
As a dedicated coach, I'm here to support and challenge you in your journey toward being your best self. If you're interested in how coaching can help you achieve your goals, feel free to reach out.
Looking forward to our journey together on this subreddit. Let's create a space for growth, learning, and transformation.

I’ve posted here before, and since i gave very little information, i got attacked and i was told im the problem.
Well here’s the whole story.
My mother in law is a very dominant person in nature, she always wanted everything under her control, keep in mind i’m from india while reading this.
(APRIL 2023)engagement saree: in my culture, the husband’s family buy the engagement saree, since we’re not in 540 BC most of the families nowadays let the bride choose her favourite, but my mother in law chose the saree, since she had a gold and pink themed engagement in her mind, i actually liked the saree and i said yes. She didn’t let me choose the makeup artist, she booked one already for me, and even paid her in advance. somehow everything went well and i liked the outcome. i never had any rift with her, i really liked her.
after the engagement my husband and i went on a lunch date, she saw me and pat on my belly and said i should lose fat, bitch? i’m nowhere near fat, it was something like periods belly
My wedding was in august 2023. between april and august, this is where i see her true colours. Meantime she became close with her son’s best friend ( who is actually his gf but he brought her home saying she’s just a friend and the girl(let’s call her kat) was trying so hard to win her)

1. around may, i was asked to come to her city because my mil and kat booked a dance workshop, my mil thought i wouldn’t dance well, im a dancer since school days and i never told anyone, at the workshop i danced so well but my mil never complimented me, she was only complimenting kat. 😭
2. around june, mil randomly calls me and tells me that she bought a outfit for my pre wedding ceremonies ( haldi and cocktail) i was like ??? um without ny presence, she kept saying that it’s so pretty and i’ll love it. since my engagement saree pretty and she chose it, i thought maybe she wouldn’t do something bad
3. when i saw the haldi outfit, it was literally a disaster, the neck was deep, the shoulders were falling off, it was ugly overall. my cocktail outfit she chose looked like something grandmas would wear on funeral.
4. somehow i made last minute changes and changed my cocktail outfit, still wasn’t the best.
5. what made me upset was, my mil and kats outfit were the best in the ceremony, idk why she chose the ugliest one for me and chose the best one for me, it really gave me a bad feeling about this woman.
6. i told my husband but he didn’t pay much attention to this, he said it’s after all a dress, also since he was in a different country, he wasn’t able to do anything much.
7. on the day of my morning wedding ceremony , she insisted that she’ll keep my accessories safely and somehow lost them.
8. for the evening ceremony, she crinkled my dress and said no one would notice.

my biggest question is “will she be okay if it was her outfit or her accessories”. i hated my wedding pictures, i get anxious everytime i see them, everytime i tell my husband, he gets mad that im always complaining about his mom, but no one sees that i got hurt
after the wedding: mostly in indian cultures , the daughter in law has to live with the husbands family. i absolutely hated every minute of it, they criticised the shit outta me.
to my surprise, my mother in law and father in law live seperately in the same area, their houses are 8 mins away from each other.
in my mother in laws house, there’s this new guy ( whom my husband and BIL calls uncle) this uncle(43years old) is an un married, alcoholic guy who passes shit comments about random women. body shames woman while watching a tv show, or when we go out. i hated his behaviour.
you might think this guy is my mil’s own brother, or a cousin or somehow a relative. none of it. he’s just a random someone who’s living full time in this house.
i wouldn’t have given a fuck if no one bothered me. but this uncle mocks me everytime i dress up, do my makeup. when he sees me cooking and he criticises me. when he sees me doing anything in the world, he criticises me. mocks me , my mil , bil and this bastard laugh together.
i felt kinda off since she’s keeping this as a secret from her husband, my fil doesn’t know he’s staying with her full time, for my mils bday this uncle got her a diamond ring , which she hid from her husband, she showed the gifts from me, her sons and her mom but hid the gift from uncle.
he got her a dyson ( which is whole another story, i told my husband i wanted dyson for my birthday, i also mentioned the color blue since it’s available in india, i guess my husband has the habit of telling her everything, just before my bday she went and bought the blue dyson air wrap) and didn’t even tell my husband / her husband. l randomly spilled it to my husband since she wanted it to be a secret. i did it intentionally.
one random day i was checking pinterest i check the messages where i saw a old message i sent to her profile , like a hi or something.. i went to her profile, i saw a board where she saved all the quotes like “you stroke me in places where my hands cannot reach” all such sexy quotes, she also has another board where she saved good morning pics that she usually sends to me and my family.
at this point im only speculating, i cannot let a random outsider mock me, also my fil is a very good person, keeping things from him and forcing me to act accordingly is also annoying to me
she’s always been all about appearances, my father in law is shorter than her, kinda fat. also looks old but he’s very rich. maybe that’s why i’m saying she all about appearances because she only talks to people who look pretty, in my wedding , people from my dads side kinda don’t dress well but they’re good people, she didn’t even wanna shake hands or smile at them when i introduced her to my family. one of my friends was kinda fat and dark, she didn’t even talk to her but she went and took pictures with my other two friends who looked slim and fair.
one time she introduced me to her zumba class friends as “sisters daughter” and without any shame asks me to call her mom since we met. i will never call her mom.
one time it got so much i couldn’t handle and i called my husband and cried about it, my mother in law said they were all just joking and i took everything seriously.
i cannot understand how a literal outsider was given so much power to hurt their daughter in law, and when confronted they support him. he once mocked me for my makeup and i didn’t even respond to him, he texted me saying “hope ur not upset, i did just for fun” this is not a apology
on top of it so many times my mil has come in between me and my husband, since me and my husband are doing a long distance relationship, he comes to india for 2 weeks breaks, ever since we got married in august, we’ve only spend 56 days together. so this time due to olympics he’s getting one month off and we planned a japan trip. my mil immediately said she would also join and said we can go to dubai.
i had to explain my husband how this is not okay since we only had 56 days together and having a family trip is not okay, he somehow explained her and changed the plan to bali. but she was still upset.
even while we’re planning the trip, she asks my husband to send the itinerary, wants to know every detail from the hotel we’re staying to places we’re gonna go
the list goes on, i’ll edit things when something pops up in my head, i got so exhausted from just typing out few things that happened in a span of 8 months
also my husband and i are waiting for the visa, im giving this marriage one last chance, im hoping things will be better if i live alone with him.

I’m sort of caught in the gears of academic life, university is no joke, I tell you (sigh). Alongside my studies, I’m on personal quest too… trying to piece myself together, to heal and grow. It’s a little like wandering through a maze, gets quite lonely at times but hey, it’s all part of the journey (or so they tell me).
About me:
I’m a man of contrasts. I have a romantic soul, with a twist.
You might be curious about what exactly I mean. Imagine I'm returning home from a tough day at work, and you're there to let me unload all of that tension, whether by simply getting on your knees and giving a passionate... (readacted but ask if you're curious) ;) I’m interested in taking c*ntrol, but I also enjoy the idea of cooking you your favorite meal and taking you up as my passenger princess or simply cuddling as we binge our favorite tv show. This represents the fusion between the heartfelt romantic and the masculine side (with a playful streak) that is me.
Interests? I’ve got 'em:

• Philosophical debates over a Hot Beverage
• Deep dives into books (Fiction to Nietzsche, I don’t discriminate)
• Stargazing with a side of existential musings
• Finding the best local eats or snacking at nights (Foodie is an understatement)
• Movies, Music, Sports, Videogames, Writing, Reading, Poetry and what not.
• Exploring unspoken languages — like the art of touch

Here’s what you get:

• A listener, talker, thinker, dreamer—all rolled into one slightly-overanalyzing package.
• No pressure, no rush—just two souls figuring out how much fun we can have along this wild ride.
• Respect, coziness, and a willingness to share the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of our stories.

I'll stop now, if your heart did that weird little leap while reading this, maybe we’re on the same wavelength.
If you’re down for a bond where we can cheer each other on through life’s weirdness.. with the occasional detour into cuddle town, then hit me up. Let’s keep it light, but let’s also make it matter, you know?
We might not have all the answers to life’s big questions, but maybe we’ll figure out a few together.