hi! i wanna get my heart count up, so i'm looking for friends to exchange light every day! only people who play daily or near-daily and will light me back, please :3
send a DM or leave a comment to either request a code or send one yourself!! much appreciated <3 you can call me cam or racer if you'd like.

Conspiracy theories involving “elite” pedophile rings have recently been dominating social media in a disorienting frenzy. They have been around for some time but in this century rose back to popularity during the 2016 Election cycle. This crop, at least, took root with what became known as “Pizzagate.” Promoters of that conspiracy theory in 2016 used social media platforms to make unfounded but viral allegations that Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats were running a pedophile ring out of the basement of a pizzeria even though that restaurant had no basement, or any ties to known politicians other than the typical flesh pressing (Phrasing I know) moments fit for a picture hung on the wall. Since then, the dark theme of Pizzagate has found new life with permutations forming part of the #Qanon conspiracy theory, incorporated under the umbrella term “pedogate.” The gist of the #pedogate conspiracy theory is that global elites (politicians, celebrities, and wealthy businesspersons) are covertly involved in a far-reaching ring that uses young children for sexual purposes. “What most of these conspiracy theories involve in one way or another is laying accusations of pedophilia or involvement in pedophile rings at the feet of people that they despise or hate, and during the 16’ election cycle, Democrats were a wide target for an opposing political movement that had hijacked the rival Republican party. Pizzagate originated with the “alt right” and “alt lite,” far right extremists who range from outright white supremacists to those who publicly shun racists but otherwise fall in step with their belief systems. Pizzagate jumped from the fringes to the mainstream because as it denigrated Hillary Clinton, it sucked in supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump. After the election all mention of pedogate seemed to be put on a simmer while other National outrages boiled over (#Covid #RussiaGate #BLM) and just like clockwork (heading into our next election cycle has been turned back up. The pedogate conspiracy and all associated stories employ a centuries-old tactic: playing on deep-seated human anxieties by conjuring images of imperiled children, the purest and defenseless victim of any manner of injustice. An example in the modern era of weaponized conspiracy was the satanic panic of the 1980s, in which a wave of hysteria over alleged child molestation at daycare centers swept the nation. But while that phenomenon was a moral panic attributable, at least in part, to social anxiety over white middle class women entering the work force en masse for the first time and entrusting their children to others, the current conspiracy theories about pedophile rings equate to similar propaganda. They carry a danger for stirring up violence. If you want to elicit violent action the way to do it is through hate and fear. Once you target and label a population as pedophiles, you can do anything you like to that population with full excuse being given to the myth you’ve wrapped around it. That’s not to say fears of child abuse or sex trafficking are unfounded. There are many as pedophilia has ancient roots and in many cases was encourage by many world cultures and religions a lot later into Civilization than we’d like to admit. The International Labor Organization reports that 25 percent of the world’s 40.3 million victims of human trafficking are children. The most vulnerable, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, are migrants, runaways, the homeless, and youngsters who have been victims of violence. Despite their obsession over the topic, conspiracy followers aren’t worked up about those children who are in true harm’s way. In the world of propaganda, it’s never about real children. Instead, it’s about what children represent. The children imperiled by conspiracy theories, in other words, are only metaphors. Children carry a vast amount of weight in any society, but especially modern ones when they’re expected to survive past the age of five. It wasn’t as intense before the 18th century when child mortality rates were really high. They represent the future, and all that is beautiful and decent and honest in a society, because they are innocent. For most people also, the meaning of their existence is rooted in their children. Children are eschatological, they represent death for us, and what is coming behind us after we are gone. They also represent the threat of loss, if they disappear, if they die, that is the death of society. That’s why they became so crucial and central to Cold War propaganda. The real terror of the nuclear holocaust would be the death of the children, because that’s the death of everyone. A recent example of this is in a recent police investigation into conspiracy claims of PizzaGate style accusation of Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts. Detectives attempted to contact the person accusing Voodoo Doughnuts on social media of running a pedophile ring. The accuser did not cooperate with investigators and it’s been documented in other coverage online that they had become agitated and accused the Police with complicity when tracked down in person, even though they were attempting to investigate. The pendulum of conspiracy theories about systematic child abuse has swung back and forth for centuries. Examples such as blood libel, when Jewish communities were attacked over false allegations of murdering and consuming Christian children in the Middle Ages. In Europe, During the Thirty Years War, entire villages were put to the sword because it was believed they were abusing children of the other religions. One characteristic that helps Pizzagate-style conspiracy theories gain popularity is that they function like a puzzle game and give its audience a large level of involvement through social media. A lot of conspiracy theories are oracular, where the information comes from one source an oracle. Then there are others where there are a few people who promote the notions, almost like gurus or a conspiracy priesthood. But Pizzagate, it’s more of what one would call a participatory conspiracy theory. Participatory conspiracy theories lay out a scenario or situation and then they ask their audience, ‘what more can you find out about this, what more can you add?’ It turns the audience into willing participants, some knowing they are creating a destructive madlib and other (potential real victims) caking on mystical distraction to issues that have been unreported or scars that have not bee properly treated. The thing about participatory conspiracy theories is it can really create a devoted following because it gives people something to do, it makes them feel they can solve the whole thing or uncover new aspects to it. Once you get that energy going it’s almost self-sustaining. Followers of the Qanon conspiracy theory, call themselves “bakers” because their protagonist “Q” pops up on Internet message boards and leaves “crumbs” (i.e., clues), and they are tasked with picking up the crumbs in order to solve the puzzle. (“Q” is supposed to reference the character’s government security clearance level).
#Q followers believe an even more incoherent version of Pizzagate. This is largely a right-wing fantasy that originated in a series of incoherent posts on #4chan in 2017 by someone calling themselves #QAnon. Following on the heels of similar idiocy such as Pizzagate, it advances a fantastic web of deceit that wraps up Trumpism, deep state fearmongering, evil, satanic pedophilia rings controlled by the Democratic Party, investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, the Las Vegas shooting, and New World Order paranoia into a package easily and wholeheartedly promoted by internet cesspools and far-right personalities such as Alex Jones. The premise is that President Trump is secretly working to take down a global ring of elite, cannibalistic, satanic pedophiles. And the investigation into Russian meddling into the 2016 election, led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, is actually an investigation into the so-called “deep state”, where a cabal of evil, globalists, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are responsible for everything from a global pedophile ring to the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. According to the enlightened, when Trump awkwardly took a drink from a bottle of Fiji water at a press conference in November 2017, it wasn’t because he was thirsty; it was actually a secret signal to those in the know that the annihilation of deep state pedophiles had begun (or was about to begin). Because as everyone knows, Fiji is a hot spot for child trafficking. ( I could go on and on with this poorly thought-out shit, I will spare you ) The role the Internet and social media play in helping to spread such insanity can’t be underestimated. Just a few decades earlier, conspiracy theorists would identify each other using letters to the editor printed in newspapers and magazines. It was a lot harder to identify your fellow conspiracy theorists. You would have to physically meet to swap your stories or send letters or call. They would set up these groups that would communicate by newsletter. They would meet in a physical space, like someone’s living room. I personally witnessed people from my childhood, dutifully photocopying newsletters they had received in the mail to give to others (Primarily at my #JW congregation, how ironic). Now obviously it can go much more quickly, because you can identity people immediately. You can quickly share ideas and the data you’ve collected. The Internet allows such people to exist in bubbles where they rarely have their beliefs challenged. The extraordinarily polarized society we’re in right now has made people less willing to seek out other view points. Because of the internet you have less chance of doing this. There’s very little incentive to look outside one’s own bubble once they have become invested in a conspiracy theory. Once you start to act out on those behaviors you are forced to double down by repeating the act to prove it was a just act. Eventually you get caught up in a movement that totally defines your conscious and you can’t get out of it. The second you step out of that world view your actions go back to being reprehensible. Now the question becomes, “What’s the harm? If it sheds light on child abuse, then isn’t it still productive?” The answer in this case is a resounding NO. In my opinion and PAINFUL experience, the root cause and sustaining factors of institutionalized child sex abuse are all things that would counter your typical Conspiracy Nut’s world view, thus causing a complete blackout to the problems. The entity taking part in the harming of children on a local and tangible level aren’t some suit and tie wearing global elitist. It’s a guidance counselor, youth pastor, unvetted young substitute teacher, aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor. It’s anyone who has been given routine private access to a child’s mind and body because of the social conventions that have been protected for generations by our relatives whether they themselves are guilty of abuse or not. In all the Qanon madness I also kept very close tabs on the pending prosecution of the Boy scouts of America and never saw any widely shared memes about their involvement in the abuse syndicate. Why is this? How is this so? Aren’t these people watching the news, seeing the court records and hearing the individual cases being brought against Scout Leaders (SOME OF WHO RAN THEIR OWN NETWORKS!!)? When I would find mention of accusation it was met with the ever scarce “skepticism” because if the media is covering it, it must be a plot to destroy the organization. There are now non-for profit organizations setting up victim funds and protections for people to come out with their stories and somehow THIS is the fake ruse. Some that know me know that I was a Jehovah’s Witness as a youth/teen/young adult. That chapter of my life could fill many chapters and the research on the organization, the real true black and white history of the religion would honestly surprise you. I saw what I now know was abuse, I personally experienced abuse in many forms. The perpetrators involved are either still Witnesses or are dead or have moved “away from the organization”. But one thing that was left intact in each situation was the secret that they prey on children. The parents, these organizations and the collective promise to keep up appearances are directly to blame for the suffering untold thousands, millions of children and broken adults. All for what? Pride and Vanity and a commitment to all involved to protect them from the “mean old world” despite allowing predators to eat their children from within. Being a #JW was a very interesting experience. It provides a very efficient form of insulation from outside society and allows people involved to view the chaos from afar. There is this persistent (albeit false) sense of shared peace that members have. It’s as though for three days a week you go to this meeting where no matter what, everyone has a smile and feels about things EXACTLY how you do. There is no cursing, there are no politics, there surely isn’t any destructive influences that would tarnish your chances of salvation. For a parent this is a refuge when raising a child in a world that is dangerously unpredictable. A Child that you are unable (or unwilling) to teach coping skills to get along by societal standards, A child you want to protect by hiding. This is problem #1. As an adult the congregation presents an avenue for which you can act and behave in a way that allows you to reconcile your past, a way to have less of those nights awake because you think about past wrongs you’ve committed against people. It’s the proverbial band-aid for a guilty, bruised, destroyed conscious of any size. Coming into the organization takes nothing more than the desire to change, publicly declaring your willingness to hand over your life to God (The organization). Bam, You’re in! No credit check, no background check. This is problem #2. A JW is taught that “every facet is an asset” (Ministerial Servants know what I’m talking about). What this means is that every facet of your life is an asset to the organization to spread its word. If the world see’s their product’s application into your life and thereby how much better it is than a normal person’s, then they’ve made an “Effective Witness” to the world. This causes Witnesses of any age to allow almost every facet of their life to be a tool by the organization. For a parent this includes their children. This is problem #3 When you get a culture that insulates itself from the real world, that allows you to enter without any coherent vetting, give access to children whose parents feel obligated to present as a “witness” to the lifestyle. You get a twisted corridor in which victims can get lost for a lifetime and predators can hide in plain sight. For any proponents of the “Save-The-Children” movement to not take a step back and really analyze their local community and lifestyle through these lenses only illustrates that child abuse is being weaponized politically at the expense of others whom you aren’t willing to save because it would look bad for ‘your side’. If you truly care, you wouldn’t be sharing email forwards about what evil unverified unmentionable thing you read some celebrity or politician did. Instead, you’d be drawing back on your experiences as a child. Even if nothing happened directly to you, I’m sure you know some one that had an experience that forever harmed their life. Who did it? Was there a pattern or social condition that allowed for this as was laid out in the JW example? How could it have been avoided? Would you have stopped it if you saw the signs? Are you willing to stop it in the future, knowing what you know now? If you can answer any of those questions with a yes, then you have all you need to WRITE your own material to reach real victims and their families. Does your action cause problems for your ‘side’? It shouldn’t matter and you know that. If it does make a difference to you then you are no better than the shadowy pedophilic cabal that you are so obsessed with.

Hi all, I'm a new hire going through the onboarding process. Everything seems great about working for the MBTA so far- The new hire orientation, the pay, the union, amicable nature of employees and instructors, but one thing sticks out like a sore thumb. I know it's not unusual for companies in the United States to shaft their workers with a low amount of vacation time, but based on the chart I received it looks like I have to work for a full two years before I can get just two weeks of PTO. What gives? am I misunderstanding the policy and there's actually more outlets for employee leave (unpaid time off, etc) or is it really just the way it is for your first few years?

FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION
I am writing this post as it may be helpful to someone who is in the same position as I was. I applied for a British Citizenship after legally living in the UK for over 5 years (I am a Brazilian Citizen). I wasn't sure what kind of documents I could use as PROOF OF LIVING here over 5 years, especially because my Visa was not an ordinary one. There are many mixed information online so I decided to list here the documents I submitted in my application, which was successful in the end.
Documents:

• Utility Bills (from mixed months within the last 5 years)
• NHS official letters (e.g.: appointments, hospital admittance/discharge, etc.)
• Passports scanned pages (I scanned all pages from both passports, an expired one, and the current one - as long as it covers the last 5 years)
• Any Governmental official letter within the last 5 years
• Bank Statements (from mixed months within the last 5 years)*

*Bank Statements - you can request from your bank a printed version of your last 5 years bank statements; you don't need to submit everything, of course, but you can mix at least one page (that has your name, address, and date) of different months throughout the years.
Feel free to ask anything, I would love to help as I know what an important step this is for us. God bless!

[Previous]
Memory transcription subject: Governor Tarva of the Venlil Republic
Date [standardized human time]: July 12, 2136
I couldn’t help but quake in regret as the human ship touched down on the landing pad before me. Would they come down running, frothing at the idea of tasting unfamiliar flesh? Or would they immediately start blasting everything in sight, relishing in the cruelty coded in their blood? As much as I wanted to cry and scream, I had to remain calm for these beasts and the others accompanying me: Kam and my diplomatic advisor, Cheln.
I would normally have more people, but because of our nature as Venlil, nobody bothered to come, forcing me to drag these two here.
Kam’s tail flicked in anxiety, wanting to do something he so little has the power to perform.
“You’re going to get us all killed, Tarva.” He hissed at me, “Might as well hand us to them on a silver platter, all tied up and gutted.”
“Kam, you’re making me really nervous, and that will happen if you don’t shut up. All that we’re doing is buying the Federation some time to save us from these freaks!” I hissed back. “Venlil Prime is not going to be another slaughterhouse!”
“You know I’m not going to be all uppity and friendly with them. I could barely hold it when that transmission came.”
“Neither did I, but here we are! So how about we all act as if they’re just prey? Can you do that for the sake of not being torn apart?”
He huffed, turning his head away from me, his tail curling up in spite. If we’re predator food, I’m ensuring you’re the first one. Drifting away from the thought, I prayed that Cheln, on the other hand, would be more reasonable than his militaristic counterpart.
Speaking of Cheln, I wonder how he’s doing—and now he’s frozen in place. Wonderful. This is absolutely what I need right now. I hope that the humans would just pass this off as standard Venlil behavior and not just begging to get out of here…
Hearing the clanking of the human ship’s ramp hitting the floor, all three of us snapped out of whatever fear lingering thoughts that poisoned our minds. Unexpectantly, I was slightly shoved forward, Kam and Cheln hiding behind me as they peeked over my shoulders.
Ohpleasedontdothistome! I could feel my eyes watering, unable to control my prey instincts as one simple goal came: live. But that couldn't happen; I had to do this for Venkind. Sighing, I wiped my tears away. My voice, once again, was trembling. “W-welcome! Welcome to V-venlil Prime!”
Looking up the ramp, heavy footsteps came—a pair. The one known as N-04H was the first to step down, followed by S-4R-4.
“Greetings,” the former began, its cold, metallic voice present as it descended the ramp. “The tactical advantage provided is in mass gratitude to us.”
Oh, it’s even bigger in person! Speh, why did I do this?! My heart throbbed at the sight of the predator, as all I ever wanted to do at the moment was to run away, but we, as Venlil, had to keep up a facade of strength. Predators thrived on the assertion of dominance, so I doubted they’d turn down a blatant challenge.
Both of these beasts stopped precisely in front of us, keeping a rather coordinated stance amongst each other.
“U-um… as you know, I-I’m Governor Tarva of Venlil Prime and these are–”
“General Kam of the Venlil Armed Forces and diplomatic advisor Cheln,” the human interrupted. How did it know?! Was it listening to us from afar?! Spehspehspeh! How much can they do?!
“H-how did you know our names?” Kam interjected, his tail tucked in between his legs, quite visibly fearful of the thing already knowing his name.
It slowly moved its head to directly face Kam, staring him down with its disgusting forward-facing eyes. This caused the general to let out a small squeak in fear, contrasting his earlier hostile attitude.
It remained silent as if it was a machine going through possible responses to hide its knowledge before finally speaking, “You look like a Kam.”
What the speh is that supposed to mean?!
A thud sounded beside me, which I realized was Cheln hitting the pavement. My diplomatic advisor fainting was not a good look, I knew that. Even Kam had his ears pressed against his head, earlier bluster forgotten.
Both predators didn’t react, ignoring the fact that there was an easy meal right in front of them. By then, I knew that humans reveled in the thrill of the hunt, refusing to accept such simplicity. They wanted us to run, fleeing for our lives as they tore us apart one by one, joyed by the cruelty they so exerted.
They knew we were afraid, and they knew that we knew that. It was obvious the human thought we should abandon Cheln, rather than allow weakness to tarnish the gene pool.
Kam knelt by Cheln’s side, trying to rouse him. Given that the nurturing trait stemmed from compassion, that wasn’t the sort of behavior to exhibit in front of predators either. I had to nip this conduct in the bud, or else the primates would think it was commonplace. That answered what I should do, but how could I leave a man to die in the cold? How could I chastise my general for basic empathy? That level of cruelty was beyond my sensibilities.
“You are afraid.” N-04H stated, “Do our large presence pose an instinctual threat, contributed by an unfamiliarity to the unknown? We are likely the first extraterrestrial life you encountered, correct?”
What... That’s why they think we’re afraid? Um… yeah, I think we can recover from this…
“Y-yeah!” I exclaimed, “T-that’s why! You’re practically the first species not from Venlil Prime to set foot here! Um.. please pardon us for our fearful attitude…”
“You are pardoned.” It said bluntly. Gazing at Cheln, it marched on over him, kneeling beside Kam. “Allow me to assist.”
“You’ve done enough, monster!” Kam spat.
“Allow me to assist.”
“No! I am not letting you–”
“That was not a request.” N-04H interrupted, for the first time, displaying emotion. And it wasn’t kindness like us prey. It was a predatory tone, the fleshy mask of theirs slowly slipping, uncovering whatever true beasts they so had hidden.
The tone had made Kam flinch back, fear overtaking his protectiveness. He had begrudgingly stepped back, covering his eyes and ears as he expected poor Cheln to be a meal.
“Thank you,” the human said, slowly picking up Cheln with ease, with no indication of him even weighing anything. It gave its attention to me, brown eyes meeting mine. I froze, inspecting the hellish landscape that protruded in its eyes, a faint red glow displaying its desire to consume.
I could see Venlil Prime being nothing but a mere wasteland, the innocent inhabitants long gone as they became slaves to the predators' hunger. Children separated from their parents as they became livestock to the eventual horrors.
The Federation must stop them; we have to exterminate Earth before they exterminate us. For now, we all had to play along with the game presented.
“W-would a tour be nice for you two?” I squeaked.
It looked around the area, scanning everything in sight. At this point, a tour would be meaningless if it weren’t for the fact that it would stall them long enough for a fleet to arrive.
“A tour would be of utmost importance to us.” Great… Just great…

TLDR; apparently my bad physical and mental health synergy lead to me to a life of absolute despair, I have tried EVERYTHING for years to leave opiates but it seems lmpossible.
My name is Mac. This is originally a letter I sent to my confident so there might be some missing context, feel free to ask.
Tramadol is THE mexican opiate and works the same way, its metabolized into morphine. I have had 2 nose surgeries to improve my breathing one of them was the worst physical pain Ive felt, thats when I tried opiates.
I suffer from chronic rhinitis so my inefficient breathing often causes nightmares and physical pain. Ive gotten as much professional help as possible, both mental and physical; as well ad therapy.
I want to write this "letter" to you as a means to try to stop bitching so frequently.
In the past 2 weeks ive had nothing but suicide and despair on my mind.
Miss M. my former best friend cant help me, she has something against rivotril even when I wasnt taking any and it was prescribed by every single doctor she thoght that was the root of all my problems, she doesnt get it, other friends just say I hope you get better and pretend everythings ok.
Every morning I wake up depressed to tears thinking lifes not worth it, I have to painfully get breakfast so I can a have a handful of pills, and feel a little better when tramadol and rivotril kicks in.
My liver, stomach and guts have cronic damage from years of abuse, ive also been taking medicine for that for years, I have to follow a very restrictive diet and yet I damage my liver more with sugar addiction because extreme anxiety.
Now that im back to rivotril im a lifeless zombie, its a sedative it prevents me from getting violent and from extreme anxiety but it doesnt allways work.
I take rivotril because its by far the strongest ansiolitic drug for anxiety out here, every doctor determined no other drug worked for me as even the strongest one struggled to regulate my depression and they didnt even try to adress adhd because depression was the priority.
Once the effects of rivotril wears out in a few hours its complete hell, panic, I want to break everything, I cut myself to release endorphines and adrenalin so I can think clearly and get out of the panic mode.
And its not small cut eithers, I grab a butchers knife and start chopping I have over 50 cuts in my arm and they would be a ton more if I had less self control.
This is considering I hate and fear blood.
https://youtu.be/_Gv-7yHScco?si=No03Ge1OiV7qukrD
This short 6 min video explains what tramadol does to me, it uses fentanyl as its example but everything she says applies to tramadol.
The problem is even if tramadol helps with depression and anxiety, and makes me feel like my breathing is perfect and I have no rhinitis/allergy, its not enough because my depression and anxiety get so bad I need even more serotonin than tramadol's alone (or my receptors to work? Idk the correct terminology).
Everytime I start feeling hopeless, out of desperation I take 1 or 2 more pills of tramadol several times a day, it almost never works as my body just feels bloated but I do it everytime regardless, my liver is saturated with chemicals already.
Bupropion is the most effective SSRI ive taken by far but I can hardly afford its cost and I generated tolerance for it so quick, my depression surpasses drugs very easily when it gets bad so im trying to learn to live with that.
The video suggests treatment with 2 drugs, methadone which is ultra illegal here ane buprenorphine which my penultimate doctor scammed me, he used indiscriminately to make me a heavy opiate addict and then dissapeared charging me tons of money. The heavy buprenorphine doses made me feel like a normal person after years, I was so sure it was going to work. I even returned to my basketball team.
The doctor after that gave me insane amounts of rivotril (12mg a day) and the side effects as mentioned above were devastating and even worse with this dosage, this also lead me to take some very bad decisions.
Ive also heard about this famous naltrexone which is legal, but every single doctor refused to use that method, idk why.
After that doctor I completely left rivotril quickly, then I left bupropion and tramadol for aproximately a month, but I could not take it...
I couldnt breath, I had panic and paranoia episodes stronger than ever before, I even had very distorted visions as if I had taken psychedelics. I crawled to the drugstore for tramadol and I was ok in a matter of minutes.
Even my brain seems to have taken some sort of "loss" as for my reading comprehension is much worse, I skip words, whole paragraphs and read words that arent there at all. This could be unrelated tho.
I just want not to feel terrible and there is nothing that helps me with that, in those moments I really wanns end it all and I feel so bad for my cats who can detect my emotions, my eldest one isnt as strong anymore to take all that negative energy.
My mom is more sick than me and my dad has a terminal illness, they cant take this, my friends are not prepared to deal with major disorders + physical illness, sometimes I feel saved by you, you helped me survive another day.
I just want to die, I think about suicide everyday I truly do but my cat and mom would die too, id completely ruin their lives and I cant do that to them, hopeless doesnt beggin to describe my absolute despair.
Expensive one hour session with my therapist, as good as she is, only goes so far, 1 houweek is way too few time, and lm surprised friends cant help, I dont rely on them anymore, they have 0 comprehension and all advice/solutions that arent worth shit.
I look like a normal person and sometimes my looks are above average, its impossible for people to tell im feeling like shit and often times they dont believe me because I look fine.
I lost my sports progress, I lost my job and I lost my will to live, I have extreme apathy I just dont feel like doing anything at all.
As a final note support groups have failed me in the past, they do work momentsrily but I find as soon as the effect wears off a lot of people end up worse than before, including me.

Howdy All!
We're leaving this Friday for Pensacola and my son (8) wants to get some fishing in. Last year for his birthday/end of year trip we spent 5 days fishing in Arkansas. This year he requested Pensacola. I don't have any surf gear. Is there anywhere we can fish from the shore with regular 5-7ft rods?
We're staying on the island walking distance from Ft Pickens. Also are there any great freshwater fishing places within driving distance?
Thanks!

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this.
My life is in a terrible mess & just continues to spiral downwards at a rate of knots. Where I’m at has been heavily influenced by mental illness (bipolar disorder) but equally I take full responsibility for my actions.
I have 2 kids. All I care about is them. But this life I’m living isn’t sustainable.
I’m 42. I’ve been with my wife for 22 years & we’ve been married for 17. Things were good until 7 years ago. At that time my eldest child was 3 & my youngest was a baby. I had a good enough career for my wife to not work for the foreseeable. I had a history of anxiety & depressions & 7 years ago I was put on an antidepressant. I hadn’t had my bipolar diagnosis (won’t get in to all that here) & taking an antidepressant without a mood stabiliser if you’re bipolar generally ends badly. I’d not long started work at a new company & I began to feel very unwell. Even after stopping the antidepressant (when I was diagnosed soon after), I was very unwell for several months. I couldn’t do my job. My wife was at home with a baby & I didn’t want to worry her. I pretended to go to work & sat in my car all day. I thought it’d pass & I’d be better, therefore never having needed to worry her, but things got worse. Sitting alone all day every day contributed. I ended up in hospital a few months later, having suffered a huge breakdown. Even though I had good intentions to protect her, my wife felt hugely betrayed, which I can understand. She has never forgiven me.
I was off work for another 6 months after I got out of hospital. We had very little money coming in & had to borrow money from my wife’s parents. They were very cruel about my mental illness & told me I should be ashamed of myself. I found my way back due to the love for my kids. I got back to work in a more junior role, but have never regained the person I used to be. I’ve been so heavily medicated since my diagnosis & my world’s been turned so upside down that he’s lost.
I had a few years of relative stability & we were able to rebuild some of the damage. But my wife never forgave me. We haven’t had an intimate relationship since before it happened. Then lockdown came & I started to wobble. I got an appointment with a private psychiatrist through my health insurance & he put me on the highest dose possible of a medication called pregabalin (for anxiety).
Fast forward a few months (about 3 years ago) & I had a terrible manic episode. I don’t remember much of it but I had a good salary & credit rating, so was able to take out a lot of loans. Long story I buried myself in tens of thousands of £s in debt. When I came to & that episode ended, I was distraught & had to go to great lengths to hide it from my wife. As I’ll come on to, in all honesty I’m afraid of her. Also, when is a good time to tell someone that? After a year of hiding letters etc. I sunk in to a bad depression in September / October. I’ve been in it since & it continues to worsen.
I’ve been off sick all year. I was hospitalised in January as I was in crisis. It’s been a terrible ordeal for my wife. Illness or not, I’ll never forgive myself for what I’ve put her through.
I’m at home all day because the depression has just made everything impossible. I understand my wife’s frustration but all she does is shout at me. I must sound pathetic, but it’s been this way for years. I’m afraid of her. When I tell her she’s being aggressive she denies it. She gaslights me a lot. She calls me lazy & a failure. She tells me to “f off back to work”. There are some days when it’s not too bad but most days it’s constant & extremely aggressive.
My youngest has now been at school full time for 2 years. My wife won’t get a job. She gets angry with me about problems with the house but won’t work. The last time it was mentioned she made my life hell for weeks. I experienced a lot of abuse as a child & can’t stand or cope with bad atmospheres in the house. She kept saying I’d “told her to get a job”.
She knows what I’ve been going through but hasn’t even brought it up. My salary is going to drop soon as I’ll move on to the income protection plan. She’ll then be forced to work so God help me. I’m terrified.
My mental health is a mess. I forgot to mention that the pregabalin prescribed during lockdown has become something I’ve abused the last year or so. I take more when I get my prescription & leave myself with less for the rest of the month. It’s the only temporary relief from this terrible depression & how I’m treated at home.
I have no parents or siblings. Nowhere to go. It would break my heart to leave my kids but I’ve come to realise if I don’t get away from my wife then this is only going to end in one outcome. I’m not far from it at all. I’m terrified of what she’ll do. I would be able to pay the core bills on this house (around £2200) & get a cheap airbnb (I’d need to live on canned food) until this house is sold. But she’d need to work to pay for groceries & ‘non-bill’ things. She can have all the equity from the house when it’s sold. All I want is for the kids to be ok.
One way or the other it’s terrifying: I live with the aftermath of telling her about the salary drop (if my mental health gets any worse it will be dangerous) or I find the courage to leave. If I leave I dread to think what crazy stuff she’ll do.
I’m exhausted, humiliated, ill & I’ve had as much as I can take. I’m only still here for the kids’ sake. But the bad thoughts are creeping in more & more
My wife hates me. I haven’t had a hug in years. She shows no compassion whatsoever. She makes it so blatantly obvious that she can’t stand me but that she’s just here because she has nowhere else to go.. It’s horrific. I haven’t explained it all well enough here. It feels like hell on earth & I’m on countdown now until this explodes one way or another. I’m already at the end of my tether. I just have to make sure that I am still here for my kids. Maybe not in the same house. But I can’t sink any lower & not be here at all

I wrote this piece based on the idea of mixing dragon and sea serpent blood. He basically gets some sort of ocean lordship. I purposefully haven't said much because I'm toiling with the idea in my head to actually write the fanfic. This is a simple scene at the point where Laena is "having" her final child.
Excerpt:
"Dracarys Vhagar!" The piercing cry jolted me from sleep, sending my heart racing as I bolted upright in bed. Time seemed to stretch, the world slowing to a crawl as a familiar clicking sound echoed ominously in the air. My mind raced with a single thought: 'No, it can't be...'
Disregarding my dishevelled state and clad only in underwear, I dashed to the window, gauging the distance to the ground below. The lone palm trees swayed in the wind outside as if offering silent reassurance that the fall wouldn't be too dire.
"A body fit for the lord of the seas I was promised, let's see how that goes..." With resolve hardening my nerves, I leapt over the balcony, the rush of air accompanying my descent.
Fwoosh!
Time seemed to freeze once more as I hurtled toward the staircase leading to the beach. As I landed with a jarring impact, the scene before me unfolded in chaotic clarity. My mother lay collapsed on the sand, a trail of blood staining the shore—a broken figure in the moonlight.
"Keligon zȳhon (Stop Her), Tiamat!" I bellowed, even as flames erupted from Vhagar's jaws. With a primal roar, the sea responded, and the serpentine jaws of Tiamat, the 'dragon' that hatched with me, emerged from the waves. Her various deep blue knobs, spines and horns contrasted with her large, sinuous, white body. She surged forward from the depths, her red eyes focused and the hood around her neck flared as her powerful jaws snapped shut on Vhagar's tail with a resounding crack. The clash of titanic forces reverberated through the water as Vhagar roared in defiance, its flames sputtering against the onslaught. Arcs of electricity crackled between each sharp fang, the resonance of the elements contrasting the deep of the night.
With gritted teeth, I ignored the pain from my fall and raced toward my mother's side. Vhagar's Dragonfire faltered, replaced by a pained cry as she struggled against Tiamat's grip. "Jikagon arlī (Go Back), Tiamat," I commanded, and the sea creature obediently released its hold, slipping back beneath the waves. In my mind, I could feel how concerned she was for me and my mother as well, our connection was special like that.
As Vhagar turned, disoriented and enraged, I approached cautiously, soothing words falling from my lips. "gīda, gīda, (calm, calm) Vhagar," I murmured, hoping to quell the storm raging within her.
Holding my mother in my arms, I noted that only half of her body was burnt, yet the flames seemed to only penetrate to the last layer of the skin. Her body was a charred echo of her past self, I asked her to be quiet as I asked for the water's help in healing her.
In my mind, however, I felt Tiamat indicate that dragonfire was the exception. Gritting my teeth, I asked my mother,

"would... would you like me to at least save the baby painlessly?"
She nodded weakly. I proceeded to ask the water within my mother to release the child, and it slowly began to push the baby out.
Amidst the cries of a newborn, echoing across the desolate beach, a figure descended the weathered stone stairs, casting a long, solemn shadow over the scene. The gentle lapping of the waves provided a haunting backdrop to the momentous occasion unfolding in the fading light of day.
"It's a boy, mother..." I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, choked with emotion. "I'll call him Laenor... in your and... and ah, uncle's honour..."
Tears welled in my eyes as I swallowed the rising bile, threatening to spill over as I gazed down at the fragile bundle in my arms. His cries, though piercing, seemed to fade into the background as I focused on the woman who had given me life.
Summoning the last reserves of her strength, my mother nodded slightly as she extended a trembling hand to touch my tear-streaked face. Her touch was both searing and tender, a bittersweet reminder of the love that bound us together. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a silent reassurance in the face of impending separation.
"My... special boy..." she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath, yet filled with a depth of love that transcended words. "I... will... al...ways... lo...ve y-"
But her words trailed off into silence, the light fading from her once bright eyes as her spirit slipped quietly from this world. At that moment, as I cradled my newborn brother in my arms, I felt the weight of her absence settle over me like a heavy shroud. My mother is now forever lost to me...
Moving away from her body, I understood what she wished for, a true valyrian death. I moved towards the cause of the rapid footsteps and knew who it was from their build,
The tension between me and him crackled in the air like the static before a storm as I confronted him, my words dripping with bitterness and accusation.
"Father," I seethed, my voice heavy with venom, "I wonder... did you grant me that final moment with her out of respect, or was it merely your own disinterest in her that allowed it?"
Emerging from the shadows, Daemon regarded me with a cool detachment that only fueled my anger. His silence spoke volumes, a tacit acknowledgement of the rift that had grown between us.
"You are upset, I understand--" he began, attempting to placate me.
"Upset? UPSET?!" I erupted, the floodgates of my grief and frustration bursting forth. "My fucking mother just died! Your WIFE! At the age of 26! How could you have let this happen?!"
Daemon remained stoic, unmoved by my outburst. I continued to shout obscenities against him, pouring out my anguish and resentment until I was left gasping for breath.
"I tried... Everything," He whispered out, the weight of his failure resting silently on his shoulders. "Everything that the masters recommended, I did without question."
"You KNEW I was special," I accused, my voice trembling with betrayal. "Why did you not come to me?"
"Special, yes," Daemon conceded with a sigh. "But able to ensure a safe delivery? That was not something I expected to be within your abilities."
His words cut deep, slicing through the haze of my grief with a sharp clarity. I knew it to be true. I had not been clear with them about the extent of my abilities. I silenced him with a look, determination hardening my resolve.
"We will discuss this later," I declared, my voice firm. "After I have cremated my mother."
Daemon's gaze lingered on me, a silent acknowledgement of my authority at this moment. But his next words grated against me,
"And how will you do that without a dragon that breathes... fire?"
With a silent exchange, I passed my younger brother into his care, my jaw clenched with determination. Turning away, I strode toward Vhagar, my mother's final resting place.
"Dracarys, Vhagar," I commanded, but she remained stubbornly unmoved, defying my order. Frustration surged within me, but I refused to be stopped.
Raising my arms toward the open ocean, I summoned a thick tendril of water to wrap around Vhagar's throat. With a clenched fist, I repeated my command, forcing her head towards my mother's body.
"Vhagar. DRACARYS."
This time, she obeyed, her flames engulfing my mother's body in the ancient funeral rite of Valyria. As her body blazed, consuming my mother's earthly remains, I honoured her final request, granting her the dignity of a true Valyrian death.
"Keligon (stop), Vhagar," I murmured, the flames extinguishing at my command. She seemed to listen now, subdued by the solemnity of the moment. I let Vhagar free of the water tendril before stepping back towards my father,
"IF. And I truly mean IF," I emphasized, locking eyes with Daemon, "I find out that you had anything to do with her death or that you tell anyone of my abilities... That Targaryen blood that you are so proud of? I will ensure that it will be the very thing that pierces your heart. I swear it... on the memory of my dead mother."
My words hung heavy in the air, a solemn oath borne of grief and determination.
There was a moment of tense silence as my words reverberated between us, each syllable weighted with the significance of my resolve. Daemon's expression remained inscrutable, but I detected a flicker of unease beneath the mask of indifference.
With a final, piercing stare, I turned away, leaving him to contemplate the gravity of my vow. As I left the yard, I noted the small smile that replaced his expression for a fleeting moment.
Ascending the steps, exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders, mingling with the simmering emotions that churned within me. It was then that I realized the reason for Daemon's smile, the underlying pride that lay beneath his stoic facade.
Halting midway up the stairs, I turned back to face him, my gaze meeting his across the distance.
"You're proud, aren't you?" I questioned, my voice tinged with a mix of frustration and resignation.
Daemon looked up and met my gaze, his expression unreadable yet tinged with a hint of something akin to pride.
"Of course," he replied, his voice carrying a weight of its own. "After all, that part of you is finally out... The fire and fury of a dragon."
His words resonated within me, stirring a complex mixture of emotions. With a nod of acknowledgment, I turned away once more, leaving him to his thoughts on the desolate beach below.
Though my anger still simmered beneath the surface, tempered by the realization that some of my accusations had been fueled by raw emotion, I resolved to address them with a clearer mind in the days to come. For now, I needed time to process, to mourn, and to prepare for the challenges that lay ahead.
Yes, his dragon is a lagiacrus. Mutations n stuff, his power's influence. Anyway I hope you enjoyed that.

I think this post isn't against the rules but if it is I will take it down.
So about a month and a half ago I got referred for an autism diagnosis and I got diagnosed with ASD but the psychologist recommended I seek an ADHD assessment. I also want to get a referral for social anxiety. Someone I vaguely know told me that if I leave a letter with the receptionist for my GP containing the paperwork and what referral i want that he will refer me without an appointment but im unsure if that is true or not.
So basically if I leave a letter with the receptionist at my local surgery for my GP can I get a referral without an appointment?
I feel like ADHD it might work because he knows I'm neurodivergent and a psychologist did recommend it to me but I'm unsure about the social anxiety.
Thank you for taking the time to read even if you don't know the answer 🙏

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this.
My life is in a terrible mess & just continues to spiral downwards at a rate of knots. Where I’m at has been heavily influenced by mental illness (bipolar disorder) but equally I take full responsibility for my actions.
I have 2 kids. All I care about is them. But this life I’m living isn’t sustainable.
I’m 42. I’ve been with my wife for 22 years & we’ve been married for 17. Things were good until 7 years ago. At that time my eldest child was 3 & my youngest was a baby. I had a good enough career for my wife to not work for the foreseeable. I had a history of anxiety & depressions & 7 years ago I was put on an antidepressant. I hadn’t had my bipolar diagnosis (won’t get in to all that here) & taking an antidepressant without a mood stabiliser if you’re bipolar generally ends badly. I’d not long started work at a new company & I began to feel very unwell. Even after stopping the antidepressant (when I was diagnosed soon after), I was very unwell for several months. I couldn’t do my job. My wife was at home with a baby & I didn’t want to worry her. I pretended to go to work & sat in my car all day. I thought it’d pass & I’d be better, therefore never having needed to worry her, but things got worse. Sitting alone all day every day contributed. I ended up in hospital a few months later, having suffered a huge breakdown. Even though I had good intentions to protect her, my wife felt hugely betrayed, which I can understand. She has never forgiven me.
I was off work for another 6 months after I got out of hospital. We had very little money coming in & had to borrow money from my wife’s parents. They were very cruel about my mental illness & told me I should be ashamed of myself. I found my way back due to the love for my kids. I got back to work in a more junior role, but have never regained the person I used to be. I’ve been so heavily medicated since my diagnosis & my world’s been turned so upside down that he’s lost.
I had a few years of relative stability & we were able to rebuild some of the damage. But my wife never forgave me. We haven’t had an intimate relationship since before it happened. Then lockdown came & I started to wobble. I got an appointment with a private psychiatrist through my health insurance & he put me on the highest dose possible of a medication called pregabalin (for anxiety).
Fast forward a few months (about 3 years ago) & I had a terrible manic episode. I don’t remember much of it but I had a good salary & credit rating, so was able to take out a lot of loans. Long story I buried myself in tens of thousands of £s in debt. When I came to & that episode ended, I was distraught & had to go to great lengths to hide it from my wife. As I’ll come on to, in all honesty I’m afraid of her. Also, when is a good time to tell someone that? After a year of hiding letters etc. I sunk in to a bad depression in September / October. I’ve been in it since & it continues to worsen.
I’ve been off sick all year. I was hospitalised in January as I was in crisis. It’s been a terrible ordeal for my wife. Illness or not, I’ll never forgive myself for what I’ve put her through.
I’m at home all day because the depression has just made everything impossible. I understand my wife’s frustration but all she does is shout at me. I must sound pathetic, but it’s been this way for years. I’m afraid of her. When I tell her she’s being aggressive she denies it. She gaslights me a lot. She calls me lazy & a failure. She tells me to “f off back to work”. There are some days when it’s not too bad but most days it’s constant & extremely aggressive.
My youngest has now been at school full time for 2 years. My wife won’t get a job. She gets angry with me about problems with the house but won’t work. The last time it was mentioned she made my life hell for weeks. I experienced a lot of abuse as a child & can’t stand or cope with bad atmospheres in the house. She kept saying I’d “told her to get a job”.
She knows what I’ve been going through but hasn’t even brought it up. My salary is going to drop soon as I’ll move on to the income protection plan. She’ll then be forced to work so God help me. I’m terrified.
My mental health is a mess. I forgot to mention that the pregabalin prescribed during lockdown has become something I’ve abused the last year or so. I take more when I get my prescription & leave myself with less for the rest of the month. It’s the only temporary relief from this terrible depression & how I’m treated at home.
I have no parents or siblings. Nowhere to go. It would break my heart to leave my kids but I’ve come to realise if I don’t get away from my wife then this is only going to end in one outcome. I’m not far from it at all. I’m terrified of what she’ll do. I would be able to pay the core bills on this house (around £2200) & get a cheap airbnb (I’d need to live on canned food) until this house is sold. But she’d need to work to pay for groceries & ‘non-bill’ things. She can have all the equity from the house when it’s sold. All I want is for the kids to be ok.
One way or the other it’s terrifying: I live with the aftermath of telling her about the salary drop (if my mental health gets any worse it will be dangerous) or I find the courage to leave. If I leave I dread to think what crazy stuff she’ll do.
I’m exhausted, humiliated, ill & I’ve had as much as I can take. I’m only still here for the kids’ sake. But the bad thoughts are creeping in more & more
My wife hates me. I haven’t had a hug in years. She shows no compassion whatsoever. She makes it so blatantly obvious that she can’t stand me but that she’s just here because she has nowhere else to go.. It’s horrific. I haven’t explained it all well enough here. It feels like hell on earth & I’m on countdown now until this explodes one way or another. I’m already at the end of my tether. I just have to make sure that I am still here for my kids. Maybe not in the same house. But I can’t sink any lower & not be here at all

We are seeing many broker getting hacked in their DAT accounts. In the 3 specific instances we have investigated, the hacked credentials belonged to an agent or employee that just left for vacation. This indicates that scammers have breached your systems and obtained credentials. They then patiently wait for the hacked individual to advertise that they are leaving the office, or going on vacation. As soon as they are gone, the scammer logs in as the agent or employee, and starts posting obscene numbers of loads in the broker's name. Any loads booked by unsuspecting carriers are given a falsified RC on the compromised broker's format. The load is run and then there is no payment to the carrier. Carrier then complains to the brokerage and learns that the load was fraudulent.
One way to combat this is to assume your account has been compromised. Regularly change your passwords. Always change your password before you leave for vacation. This then protects your DAT account and limits your brokerage's exposure to getting hammered by carriers over fraudulent loads in your name.

"Good evening, tributes, and welcome back to the stories of Panem. Before we begin, I would like to thank Christian Blanco, the original writer of "Tales of the Hunger Games," and Lauren from "Panem Reborn." Now, since I don't have too much else to say, let's go!
Game 114 (150):
District 1: Jacqueline and Facet
District 2: Malona and Crane
District 3: Darlene and Colt
District 4: Brook and Harbor
District 5: Unknown girl and Darian
District 6: Fifi and Atlas
District 7: Bloom and Amarylio
District 8: Scarlet and Carter
District 9: Zest and Mazin
District 10: Zulu and Mateo
District 11: Unknown girl and Lee
District 12: Dorothy and Hargree
District 14: Both unknown
A plethora of excitement crossed the capital over the past year, especially their beloved commentator Camilia Ravenstil's pregnancy, which resulted in her giving birth to twins named Amelia and Cyrus, to honor the past two Game Makers. Even Winnow's victory was still in high popularity.
As the reapings rolled around on July 4th, many of the capital citizens flew to their TVs and viewing parties. Winnow made her journey from district to district with her mother and entourage from the capital. When she landed in District 4 on the late morning of the third day of the reapings, she was greeted by Mayor Chigwell. After a rather long tour of the district's harbors and jewelry stores, they stopped at a nearby seaside diner for a brief lunch. Viewers in Snow Square laughed at Winnow's face of pure boredom as Mayor Chigwell ranted about the latest trends in the district's fashion. Winnow's face soon turned to relief as the mayor brought her back to the district's reaping square.
After a little bit of time, the light blue-catered youths were walked into the square by rather impatient Peacekeepers. Mayor Chigwell finished up his speech before welcoming Winnow to the stage. She gave out a rather tired smile at the district's population before talking about the joys of being a victor. She then asked if any of the girls wanted to volunteer. After hearing no response, she then took out the name of 17-year-old Brook Branachok.
Brook was found in the back of the 17-year-old section. Her platinum blonde hair made her quite noticeable to viewers in Snow Square. She sighed dramatically before flipping her blonde hair back in a dramatic manner as her piercing blue eyes even made some of her nearby peers shudder in fear as Brook arrived at the stage and shook Winnow's hand. "She was later described as a 'rich high school bully' by commentators. The girls in a mood," Winnow laughed before shaking Brook’s hand before walking to the male reaping bowl. After a brief silence, she thrusted her hand elbow-deep before taking out the name of 17-year-old Harbor Zanders. A brief pause soon followed by a discussion as a boy with dark brown curly hair with a smattering of light brown freckles on his face gave a guilt-ridden smile before walking up to the stage. However, as a group of teens his age giggled, Harbor turned back and glared at the giggling boys as they suddenly grew quiet. Harbor soon took out a flask of wine. Capital citizens laughed as Harbor found one of his friends and tossed it to him before walking back up to the stage. Back in the capital, both Camilia and Silca and even most of the audience had been surprised at the pair's striking attitudes.
Harbor then shook Brook and Winnow’s hand before they were announced as this year's tributes for District 4 before moderate applause followed. Winnow soon brought the two tributes to the drawing room before she made her journey to District 3 with her entourage.
Brook was visited by her mother, father, and four younger sisters clinging dearly onto their sister. After successfully removing her sobbing siblings, Brook’s mother calmed her daughter down as her father, Coral, gave the best advice he could offer. Peacekeepers soon came in to bring Brook to the waiting dock. She waved and said she’d "At least try to win."
As for Harbor, he was visited by his mother, father, and his younger and older brothers. As his siblings were saddened as well as his parents, Harbor embraced them all in a tight hug. Before he was needed at the dock, his girlfriend Melanie even joined in this hug causing Harbor to show some emotion.
After a few more minutes, peacekeepers soon brought Harbor out of the room to join Brook at the dock as the pair boarded the jet boat to the capital.
"Man, you've been through the ringer, haven't you?"
"Same goes to you, girl. Haven't seen you in a year."
The pair soon chatted with each other about their experiences at the academy and gossiping about old friends. Brook, in particular, laughed hysterically when Harbor mentioned how his ex-girlfriend got karma returned to her when she crashed a birthday party at Harbor’s dad's bar, resulting in the peacekeepers putting her in the district's jail for a month.
However, as the pair tried to dine upon the food provided, the boat hit a bump resulting in Brook, Harbor, four avoxes, the dining table, and nine peacekeepers to go flying up into the sky. Thankfully, no harm came between the fifteen as the peacekeepers then helped the two back up as a new lunch buffet was arrived. And so did their mentor, Sienna Shoreville, victor of the 105th Hunger Games, arrived in.
"I don't want you two to ally with the 2s, maybe the 1s, depends on how they are."
Brook looked curiously at Sienna before saying, "Didn't Anamaria get her neck snapped by the girl a year prior?"
Sienna groaned in annoyance at remembering this cringeworthy death before walking to the bar carriage before inviting the two to join. As Sienna asked the pair about their lives, she laughed while listening to Harbor telling some stories of working at his dad's bar and the customers who would frequent the place. However, when Sienna asked Brook about her life and possible skills, Brook sighed before saying, "I guess looking pretty’s a skill."
Sienna laughed before replying, "For getting sponsors, yes, but not when you're in a fight to the death."
As this reality check wiped the smile from Brook’s face, she and Harbor finished up their meals before listening more to Sienna’s lecture about the games. And as an act to see if her tributes were actually paying attention, she quizzed them on the dos and don'ts in the capital. As Harbor passed this quiz, Sienna laughed before allowing him some "Capital Goodies." However, as Brook blatantly failed the quiz, she laughed and called Harbor a "suck-up" before walking to her room.
Sienna looked at Harbor for a second before saying, "I guess she’s either related to the mayor or is a spoiled rotten brat."
"She usually brags about her rich family members, always thinks she's better than everyone."
"And trust me, the girl ain't pretty."
Sienna and Snow Square laughed as she then patted him on the back before""telling him to get a 'nap' in before they were to arrive in the capital."
He nodded before Brook returned. It is unknown what the two girls talked about for the remainder of the trip, but our historians have noted that Brook’s scowl from before had dissolved for the time being. As evening rolled around, the pair from District 4's boat landed at Mcaine dock as an excited crowd of capital citizens swarmed the pair from 4 and their very popular mentor, who had been giving out her new jewelry to some of her lucky fans.
Brook and Harbor performed rather well, with the capital citizens enjoying their "feisty sailor attitudes." Even some reporters from Golden 24 put up a most popular tribute poll with Harbor and Brook being in the top 3, narrowly beating Fifi from District 6.
Sienna then thanked the capital for their time before taking her tributes to the limousine. Once it arrived at the accommodation tower, they arrived at the 4th floor. After arriving, Sienna called their stylist, Orivile Cartwright.
Orivile embraced Sienna before showing his tributes his pre-made outfits, which were Sailor themed, which made Brook and Harbor smile. Due to them having a fair amount of time left, Sienna displayed the post-reaping commentaries before turning on the commentary for District 1 as Orivile worked away at the pairs' outfits.
Mayor Cassino greeted a very exhausted Winnow Fraiser. Also accompanying the mayor was Realm Jones, victor of the 101st Hunger Games, and Quintin Mahoney, victor of the 108th Hunger Games, joined Winnow on the initial tour. Winnow appeared to be star-struck sitting between both iconic victors. She even turned around to Quintin saying, "I can't believe I get to meet a legend like you."
Quintin laughed before giving Winnow some comic relief during the tour, telling her about his games and even asking a few questions about her own games. At the conclusion of the tour, Realm's eyes lit up in delight as he saw his own capital mentor, Narcissa Valentions, warmly embracing her mentee.
"So what're you doing here?"
"I had some time off. I figured I'd come by and see how you've been doing. Business at my shop has been bustling as ever, so I figured I’d take a break to see my first victor."
As Realm and Narcissa soon walked over to the talent demonstrations together, Quintin laughed as Mayor Cassino welcomed the scarlet youths. Winnow was then brought up to the stage. She asked if any of the youths wanted to volunteer, becoming surprised when 10 ladies and 8 gentlemen volunteered for the role of tribute for District 1. Silca joked with Camilia, saying, "It's normal for them, isn't it?"
With the ladies' many remarkable weapon displays and archery displays, 18-year-old Jacqueline Faywether had been announced as the final volunteer to try her luck. She smiled at many nearby cameras as even one enthralled boy in the audience fainted seeing the rather extractive career girl.
She shot 10 arrows blindfolded and threw 8 knives in the letter J form, causing even more ripples of laughter sounded in the square. The mayor announced the two passing tributes. As for the two tributes, Jacqueline’s only remaining opponent, Jewel, had almost won the title of female tribute but had a stroke leading to Jacqueline to win the title of female tributes.
As for the guys, 18-year-old Facet Elixithorn had made himself a crowd and capital favorite by his spear-throwing display and to ending in a handstand with wild applause following. Three guys made it to the debate round with Realm this time asking the questions. With poise and dignity, Lance’s strong mind and less nerves had won him the title of male tribute for District 1.
After the pair were bathed and stylized, they were then brought out to the square as they then shook Winnow’s hand before she announced Jacqueline and Facet were announced as the tributes for District 1.
And after a brief meeting with their families and friends with not too much emotion, Jacqueline and Facet were then brought to the train as the train began their journey to the capital.
Narcissa, Realm, and Quintin then greeted their tributes with Jacqueline and Facet being surprised seeing their district's first victor’s mentor. Quintin soon brought the four to the table having a brief dinner with Narcissa asking the two if they had any skills besides their ‘weapons of choice.’ Quintin was pleased to hear of Jacqueline's diverse skills of weaponry before bragging to her district partner about her achievements at the Kobayashi self-defense center. However, instead of being jealous, Facet asked his district partner about her accomplishments.
Realm and Quintin were pleased with their tributes getting along with each other before showing the past reapings in the districts. Facet and Jacqueline laughed hysterically at the District 2 reaping games even Narcissa let out a smile. Quintin then asked the pair if there had been “Other commendable allies besides the non-dazzling loonies from 2 besides Jade and Hermina, they are dazzling.” Realm also chimed in adding that they should “Look for others.”
However, as Jacqueline was going to ask why Realm shushed her and said, “The career pack has their on and off years.” Jacqueline nodded before Quintin continued talking to the pair about the past reapings. Facet and Jacqueline even suggested the girl from 3 and the pair from 4 as potential allies. Realm appeared to consider this before Quintin added in that “He would see what he could do.”
As the pair nodded, the pair from 1’s train arrived in the outskirts of the capital. Narcissa soon styled the pair up, quietly complaining to Realm of how Jacqueline's red hair and Facet's long blonde curls were impossible to tame. The train then arrived in the capital with the usual excited capital crowd marveling scarlet couture. Jacqueline and Facet were both outstanding hits with the capital citizens maintaining proper etiquette. However, two capital lights had to be removed from the audience after heckling Facet about his district partner. Narcissa then wished Jacqueline and Facet luck before kissing Realm and Quintin on the cheek. Realm and Quintin then thanked the capital citizens for their time before bringing the pair from 1 to the limousine as it brought them to their accommodation tower.
Once they arrived at their accommodation tower apartment, they were greeted by their stylist, Aurelia Heavensbee. She smiled at the four of them before whisking them to the dining table showing them her designs for the parade. Jacqueline in particular was marveling at her long ruby dress as Facet jokingly told Jacqueline that they looked like a “walking jewel.” However, Aurelia frowned as Realm glared at Facet as the smile was wiped from his face. The pair then groaned in annoyance at their stylist's bland outfits.
Before the pair were then brought to the parade moments later, Facet and Jacqueline were immediately approached by Malona and Crane, both from 2 introducing themselves. However, Facet cut the pair off from further words, saying, “the career pack is gonna be different this year.” As Malona protested, Jacqueline said, ‘thanks but no thanks.” Both Jade Heath and Herminia Gold looked at the District 1 mentors in bewilderment as they also reciprocated. However, the pair from 1 then came over to the pair from 4 chatting with their mentor.
“Darling, you look stunning.”
“Oh, thank you, you dazzling ruby.”
Brook and Jacqueline seemed to obtain an instant connection. As Facet complemented Harbor’s outfit. Harbor smiled good-naturedly back before chatting away with him about lives in their districts. Facet soon asked the pair if they would be interested in an alliance in the arena; however, Sienna leaned in this conversation asking “Where are the 2s?”
Jacqueline then replied that they were “trying something new this year” before pointing at the pair making fun of Mateo from 10’s cow-themed parade outfit. Sienna shrugged as Brook and Harbor warmly accepted the offer as Facet and Jacqueline smiled saying “splendid see you soon.” When the pair from 1 got back, Realm popped up asking “You with the 4s this year.” As the pair nodded, Realm smiled and nodded with Quintin and Aurelia doing their touch-ups to their tributes' outfits. Sienna commended the pair for “making friends already,” she still urged caution before re-adding in “The 2 mentors there are my ride or dies but still keep your eyes on them if needed.”
The pair then nodded as the parade then began. Regal applause and cheers sounded for the pair from 1, but Nico Anderson lead editor of Anderson Fashion applauded for their strong impression but said the dress was “So Basic.” The pair from 4 were given a large amount of applause as Harbor and Brook waved at the audience even performing an old dance known as a “Jig”. The pair were also given a boatload of flowers and chocolate resulting in both Brook and Harbor sneezing uncontrollably at the end of the parade during President Mcaine's speech. Best dressed was ultimately awarded to the pair from 4 with their sailor-themed couture.
When the pair from 1 arrived back in their district apartment, they were glaring daggers from afar at Aurelia,
“How did it go.”
“How did it feel getting harshly criticized on live TV.”
Quintin shot Jacqueline a disapproving look as Realm asked if there other worthy allies. Both mentors were pleased hearing their success with the pair from 4 before Realm reassured them that they still looked “dazzling” before sending his tributes to bed. However, with the pair from 4, Sienna warmly embraced the two of her tributes on a best-dressed win. As Orville also joined in the group hug has the 4 of them partied till around 11:30 pm until Sienna sent her tributes to bed as she and Orville stayed up a while longer.
Bright and early the following morning, the mentors ushered their tributes to the training center with a very frustrated Apollo Price. Unfortunately, during his speech about the rules of the training center, he tasered Mateo from 10 after he tried to make a break for the door after Price’s speech concluded. Mateo’s mentor Bianca Jr Ramon rolled her eyes before dropping her mentee at the knife station.
The newly made career alliance between the District 1 and 4 tributes conquered most of the training stations with Facet and Harbor bonding over dropping and throwing large weights causing Fifi from 6 to wet herself earning a smirk from the boys. When Mateo awoke from his unconscious slumber, he immediately ran to Mateo asking him to spare. Since Mateo was no older than 14 and he was the youngest tribute the careers laughed before Facet told him to “Buzz off”. However, as Mateo continued to pester the career boys, Harbor gave Facet a knowing look before accepting Mateo’s sparing request.
A short crowd of tributes went to the jousting stations as Mateo and Harbor were briefed on the rules before being allowed to go at it. It was no surprise that Harbor won all 4 rounds.
“Easy”.
Harbor smiled warmly before being tackled to the ground by the 14-year-old boy from 10.
“You think you're better than me HA you rotten career boy.”
As Price Facet Brook and even Sienna tried to step in Harbor held his hand up to stay back. Harbor then threw the boy off him before pinching the nerve on Mateo’s neck knocking him clean out. As training master Price and Sienna looked at him in bewilderment before Price smiled saying
“Good job kid”.
Harbor smiled before Facet and he returned to the weight station and survival, knife and axe stations even giving advice to Amarylio from 7 with starting fires.
As for the girls they mainly gossiped to themselves and having “Girl talk” at the aquatic station sword station and archery stations. When any tribute tried to use the archery station both Jacqueline and Brook would melodicaly but fiercely slam there weapons into the targtes.
At the end of the traing head master price brought the tributes to the asscors room. Due to the request of the new head game maker the tributes assesment scores were kept strictly confidential. However tabloid reporters manage to scoop out that Jacqueline Facet Harbor and Malona from to managed to score at the top of the pack with a 11. Brook and Amarylio scored a 9 and at the bottom of the pack was Mateo and Hargree from 12 scoring a 3 each.
Both Sienna Quintin and Realm were beyond impressed with there tributes scores before they’re stylist sketched up potential outfits with there mentors soon quizing the pairs on interview educate.
Camilia Ravenstil welcomed the excited capital audience modeling a rather gothic dress that made her look like a ghost tree by the audience. The audience even laughed good naturedly as Camilia shook for a second as leaves fell of her costume as if wind had hit her. She then exictedly welcomed Jacqueline from 1. She was adorned in a stunning pink and red dress with her hair put up in braids. The two had some gossip before reavling to the audience that she was a decdent of Emarld Rivelta victor of the 34th hunher games. Camilia slapped her knee and laughed saying “Thats who you resmbl I guessed right I knew it!”
As the girls chatted the audience loved her regal responses to Camilas questions as even mentoning the carrer alliance brought the crowd into rapsous cheers,even when she talked about her allies from 4 openly. She then kissed Camilia on the hand before bowing which caused even more cheers before she was dismissed back stage. Facet was welcomed in next marveling a sleeveless pink suit with ruby jeans making many of the capital audience to swoon over his physeigue. Even Camilia was taken aback by his charm and confidence as he spoke about his training experience and the strength of his alliance with Jacqueline. His witty remarks and easygoing demeanor captivated the audience, earning him loud applause and admiration.
Later on into the night brook was welcomed in next with wild cheers and wolf whistles sounding. With her hair being dyed a pure yellow with a light brown dress resembling sand following her. She proceeded to have the same amount of banter with Camilia as Jacqueline did however Camilia cut her off as she was finshing up talking about her dads money saying “Honey this is the hunger games.”
“Yeah and Ill live how I like before the games.”
As a few jeers sounded the rest of her interview was rather dull the only light being Camilia shooing the “Regina George” of the stage. As Camila then called Harbor loud cheers sounded again as Harbor walked on to the stage with his curly black hair and brown eyes making him quite attrauctive to many even his pirate themed coustume became an over night sensation with many fashion designers stating that they wanted this fashionable suit.
As Camilia asked Harbor about the games becoming pleased with his short but sweet responses. Even cracking some good jokes about the other competitors mainly about Bloom from 7 and Mateo from 10 . To conclude Harbor’s inteviwed he tossed his waist coat to teh crowd as an excited gagle of captial ladies clammered for this waist coat. As his interview ended on a high. Finaly after the interview of the boy from 14 the new head game maker Natellia Swan was welcomed to the stage. Head game maker swan was adorned in a regal black gown also sporting garish make up making her resmble more of ghost then human. After introducing herself to the excited capital audience Camila smiled before shaking her hand saying that “Game maker swan has alot to accept from.” She laughed before giving hint out to teh audience by pointing to both of the laides dresses. Curious osund sof inteirgue soon followed as game maker swan smiled and bowed as she then left the stage as Camilia then ended the interviews there. The next morning tributes were given a breif breakefst before being brought to the arena’s holding room.
This years outfits consisted of black coats with black jeans and snakers with there distristicts nymbers stickered on the back of there coats. Realm visited Facet before reminding him to stick with Jacqueline and Harbor and Brook. However before Realm finished Facet replied “That girl Brook might be problem.” Realm nodded and agreed before reminding him to keep an eye on her before shaking his hand as he went into his tube. Jacqueline was visited by Quintin the pair had a similar conversation as Realm did with Facet before Jacqueline embraced Quintin and thanked him joking “District 1 needs more ladys.” Quintin laughed before hugging her back before walking Jacqueline to her tube. As for Brook she was not visited by Sienna nor Orvilve a fact that suprised her the most but shrugged before patiently puting her hair up in a bun and waiting for the tribute call to sound. As for Harbor Sienna visted him. She embacred Harbor before reminding him to “ Keep an eye on all of them.”
Harbor smiled before thanking Sienna for her mentor ship before Sienna walked Harbor to his tube his tube and at mid day the podiums then arose into the arena.
Arena Ghosty lake Game 114

Partner got a new job after not working for awhile which requires out of town stints. We have a 6 month old who is very high needs and I'm working with a team to get my mental health in a better place. The hours have been long and he complains when I'm in a bad mood by the time he gets home and don't want to talk or anything. When he does get off at an earlier time he will feed baby dinner and bathe her and do bedtime. That is the only thing he has to do if he is home in time. I had him skip a last minute (less than week notice) trip because baby had 6m shots and appointments going on. I rearranged and canceled other appointments for the end of the month WEEK he was supposed to be gone and had made arrangements to stay at my mom's for help. Today the ONE WEEK trip has somehow turned into 3 weeks and he'll be home for weekends. I told him I didn't agree to that and it became an argument. She has other appointments that I need to get her to and make and I have appointments I'm trying to make for myself that I can't get to on my own & have baby with me. I asked for a nanny and when he was home on the weekend he was on baby duty and I was going to go out and do self care for me (ie. Nails, tan, eyelashes). I was told "I don't have money for any of that". So then I suggested just leaving and we would split and he can pay child support and work wherever whenever and not have to worry about it to which he then said he was going to "take my phone". Our phone plan is joint and when I tried to explain the fact that I would still need to set up doctor visits and other stuff for our child and he wouldn't be able to do that being gone and working super long hours he had no real response and just wants the phone to be petty. AITA for requesting help and self care time?
His solution is I spend 3 weeks at my mom's where I have no real place to sleep (my kid has her own room) and get the same couple hrs of help from my mom because she works and would only be home for a couple hrs before bedtime. He also called our child a mistake and said our lives are ruined bc of her

Im sole caretaker of my elderly father. Just got back to work after being on medical leave due to my own mental health being in the shitter and taking care of my mom after a stroke and my father who has congestive heart failure plus end stage renal failure. When i got back from leave we had a new manager. Previous manager understood my situation, and had no problem with call offs, plus i always provided documentation. I was supposed to work morning shift tomorrow and due to hospitals always being slow in my area i called off. I explained it was due to a family medical emergency. Explained yes i will provide documentation. Managers response to i wasnt going to be in due to family medical emergency was find someone to cover your shift. I do not have time to find cover because management doesnt want to do the leg work. I feel i should be able to say hey family medical emergancy and focus on my family vs scrambling to find cover for a shift when half my coworkers dont look at the workjam messages anyway. Prior to the management change calling off because of medical emergencies was not a problem. I suggested to my new manager we sit down and have a talk about things and asked when they would be available so they dont think im just an asshole who calls off fot the hell of it because frequent under 2 hr call offs happen alot at my store. I have never been late to work. Never even been wrote up, and have worked for panda for over 2 years. To be told hey find cover when i know management is technically required to by policy to find cover if i am unable too just makes it seem as a fuck you i dont care about if your family memeber is dying. My dad is on dialysis 3x per week, mom had stroke, and dad was in and out of hospital back to back to the point where i took unpaid leave until my dad had surgery for a pacemaker that stopped the in and out of hospital. How should i approch the conversation with my gm and should i go to my aco if my gm is unresponsive to me requesting we speak in regards to my situation. I dont want to be arguing with a new manager about what i am and am not required to do outside of work. Anytime there has been a medical emergency i have called off way more than 2 hrs in advance in order to give management time to find cover.

On February 22, 2023, I got an iguana from a pet shop. In May 2023, I took the iguana to the vet for an examination, and was informed by the veterinarian that it had a severe illness, leaving me with the decision to consider euthanasia or pursue treatment. The iguana required emergency hospitalization for five days, costing approximately $3700, followed by nearly a year of ongoing treatment. Now that the iguana's condition has stabilized, I am planning to discuss the matter with the pet shop.
At the time of purchase, I received no information or explanation regarding any illness. Therefore, I intend to request reimbursement for all medical expenses incurred. Could you please advise on the best approach to communicate with the owner of the pet shop?
Show the bill and ask for the money?
If there is animal lawyer (Pro bono), please let me know! My iguana was not treated right at the store and I'm still mad at them.

Union Organizing Update
Over the past few weeks, several of us from this subreddit have joined together to form an organizing committee for unionization. We have organizers from across the United States, including organizers from Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida and more. They are among some of the most frequent posters and helpers that you’re familiar with already, like ( u/mamabroccoli and u/Inevitable_Laugh4569 ). We have already been in contact with a couple unions for guidance, including a union with an office within a couple miles of the TDC main office in New York City. While our numbers are sufficient and I think we’re making great progress thus far, if you are still interested in having an active role, we’d love to have you. The more people helping, the better! If you would prefer a more passive role by simply giving your support, that’s always appreciated too!
We have been discussing our plans for near future of our potential tutor union. Most of the work from here will be contacting people and spreading the word about unionizing the tutor base. We will be providing more information over the next couple/few weeks. Later in the week, there will be a post about the benefits of unionization. Next week, we will post about the demands we’re going to state at the beginning of any negotiations. We have ideas for further informational posts. This is truly a group effort. I think you will like what we’re offering and will be glad to vote to unionize in the future.
The following letter is an open letter to tutor.com / The Princeton Review. You may notice that it is written a bit differently than the writings I usually produce. The reason for the tonal shift is because of writing help. I wrote the initial draft, which was edited by our committee to have a nicer flow, be less antagonistic, and add further pro-union arguments. We are committed to work together, and this is just the start of what we can do when we work together!
Also, if you haven’t yet signed the video petition, please do so. https://www.change.org/p/oppose-tutor-com-mandating-video-sessions-for-tutors?recruiter=300829309&recruited_by_id=b62a6030-fe40-11e4-95d0-ef524b399632&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard_share_modal&utm_medium=copylink
Open letter to tutor.com / The Princeton Review regarding attempts to unionize
Since we're starting the process of putting together a union proposal, we're publicly requesting tutor.com and/or The Princeton Review to voluntarily recognize that we're attempting to organize, and provide the resources necessary to hold a vote. From discussions amongst the committee, we know the main office is aware of this subreddit, and we'd imagine that someone is paying particular attention to our recent discussions about unionizing.
We understand if there's resistance from TDC to seeing their workers unionize, as that's a normal reaction in the business world. However, we urge you to instead be proactive and helpful as we attempt to organize.
We believe a tutor union can work in tutor.com's favor, to a great extent, for a variety of reasons:
* It would be a very good look publicly if you were to openly support the effort to unionize. We're in the education industry, a famously unionized industry, filled with people who will be more sympathetic to companies with unionized workforces. Being the one tutoring company that can truthfully say "We supported our tutors' right to unionize from day 1" could be a major selling point when seeking contracts in this industry.
* From what we've seen from your social media posts, tutor.com does seem to project a degree of progressivism. As an example, you've made posts taking pride in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at tutor.com, and you always try to highlight tutors who receive awards and recognition. You could significantly further this image by taking a union-friendly stance here. You've had executives post about how the tutors are loved - here's your chance to prove it.
* A tutor union would work to infinitely better the company itself. Tutors would feel better compensated and better heard, and as a result feel better and more enthusiastic about the company and their work overall. The better conditions would set tutor.com up as the de facto best online tutoring company to work for, and attract more and better talent to the company. It would be reasonable to set stricter quality standards and, in time, tutor.com would gain a reputation for being *the* premium tutoring service - the tutoring service that has tutors who rise above and beyond those at other services. Retention rates would skyrocket, institutional knowledge would accumulate - we'd become a company of true professionals.
* Were tutor.com to support the unionization process, it would start the relationship between the union and company off with mutual respect, a willingness to cooperate and compromise, and general friendliness and good will. This would ultimately serve us all better than a relationship borne out of malice, a refusal to acknowledge our existence, or open antagonism.
* tutor.com has faced some recent backlash from some right-wing government people regarding where we've ended up through corporate acquisitions, to the point where some are beginning to attack the military contract. One contract has already been lost for this reason. Being seen as a pro-worker company that broke industry norms and went out of their way to support their worker's right to organize, even if the effort ultimately fails, could easily work to gain the company some new allies on the left, shielding it from pointless attacks about its ownership.
We want to be clear that we're not asking for you to come out and endorse a "Yes" vote on unionization - though of course we'd be delighted if you did. What we're asking is for you to provide the resources necessary to hold an informed vote. Let us send out an email to all current US-based tutors with information regarding our efforts, and help us hold a vote to unionize at some point in the future. Offer your support or your neutrality, but please don't openly oppose or ignore our efforts. You've mentioned that "9 out of 10 tutors rate themselves Satisfied or Very Satisfied with Tutor.com" before - let's put that to the test. It may be that we hold a vote, and fail - and then, so long as you maintained neutrality and enabled us to make our case to the other tutors, we'll at least have our mutual good will, and you'll still be the pro-worker company that enabled, rather than hindered, an unsuccessful attempt to organize.
So, tutor.com / The Princeton Review, the ball is in your court now. Our attempt to organize will continue with or without your help, but we believe the best path forward is clearly the one where we work together on this. Doing nothing at all here is the easy choice, but it's also the cowardly choice. Support us, and we'll work together to better this company for its tutors and its students.
-The TDC/TPR Union Organizational Committee

This girl and I started to get really close our senior year of HS. We started dating shortly after. Things were really good. Her parents loved me, we always went on family vacations with each other, her parents would always take me out or call me if they needed something, we never argued, hung out 24/7. We were planning to get a place together soon. She had stayed the night at my house a few nights in a row, she seemed extra affectionate and happy. She always let me know how happy she was with me and how loved she felt,we were both each others first for pretty much everything. I had what I thought was a real bond with her. Her own mother would reach out to me thanking me for making her happy. A few days after her staying at my house she got super quiet and would hardly talk to me. Her mom would be texting me asking why I haven’t been around and I would have no clue what to say. I typically assume the worst and thought she was breaking up with me. She kept reassuring me that she loved me, had nothing to worry about but that was it. About 3 weeks of that go by and she finally talks to me. She tells me to leave her alone, stop talking to her and not to contact her mom or friends ever again. She told me she wasn’t cheating or anything but that she was just done with me.
A few weeks later I bumped into one of her friends i used to be pretty close with and she let me know she left because she started going out with one of her coworkers . Never wanted to throw up so bad. We had such a good connection, I never had to worry about her leaving and even worse cheating. This was all about 6 months ago. I still constantly check her socials. I hate to admit but I’ll unblock her sometimes just to check. Some days will pass and I’ll feel fine, and then I’ll have a dream or hear a song and she’s the only thing on my mind. I hate her for what she did to me, there’s not a chance I would take her back yet she’s still on my mind so much. I’ve tried talking to other people but I’m just so worried and uninterested it never goes anywhere. I need help getting past this and I’m not sure how. As soon as I think I’m progressing I dig myself back into a hole. I’ve never felt the way I did with her towards anyone and it breaks my heart she just up and left for someone she knew for a few weeks compared to our years together. She was my everything and I feel I’ll never find a connection with someone like I had with her. How do I get past this? I beat myself up all the time for not being over the whole situation, I feel like a loser that months have passed and I’m still hurting. I know there’s not a timeframe but it just sucks. I’m also always comparing myself to the new dude which is so pathetic I don’t even know his name or what he looks like but I’m constantly wondering what was better about him than me. It’s always in my mind and I hate it. She was my first real love and it kills me man it ruins my sleep my appetite everything. I feel like I’ll never find someone like her again and I’ve developed problems trusting and it all just sucks.

a lot of context for this one, sorry in advance lmao strap in if you choose to read. my (22M) ex-girlfriend (23F) broke up with me about a month ago, after we met about 5 months prior and dated for 3. I know that from the time frame it probably seems a little unserious, but i am NOT a people person, when people try to introduce themselves to me i literally run away, and i don’t do relationships. i don’t get caught up in feelings for people, and it doesn’t take a lot to push me away. until i met her. genuinely, she is the only person i have ever met that i could and would do literally anything with and still have the time of my life. things were going amazing, or so i thought, until one day out of the blue we went from texting literally all day to barely talking anymore. i hadn’t heard from her all day and i was worried so i called and texted a few times, asking if we were okay or if there was anything she wanted/needed to talk to me about. she answered the next day, we met up to talk, and she told me that our relationship put too much pressure on her to live up to my expectations. mind you, this is the first time we had ever even had an issue. she said that she decided she couldn’t handle it right now, but that she wanted to stay friends if i did too. like i said, not a people person, so i thought “i can handle a breakup, but not losing the only person i actually like hanging out with” and agreed. we didn’t talk for a few days, but then we started texting like a lot again and started hanging out again and have been consistently for the last month. where it gets confusing is the long list of mixed signals im about to run through. like when one day i get a good morning text and she asks to make plans and whatnot, and the next it feels like i’m being annoying everytime i text her. i was going on a vacation with her and her family over the summer, and when we broke up i assumed i obviously wouldn’t be going, but she held onto my ticket (instead of refunding it) and told me after we started to hang out again that they still had it and she really really wanted me to come still. so now i’m going on a week long trip with my ex and her family, where there’s gonna be lots of drinking, which is kinda terrifying because everytime we drink she acts like flirty towards me and like we’re more than just friends. like last week i went to dinner with just her and her parents, we all got drunk and i had to stay at their house since i drove there, and i offered to sleep in the spare room like 8 times and she said no and fell asleep in my arms. i know she’s not like trying to pull one over on me or whatever, she’s a strong person and not the type to keep me in her life unless she actually wants me there, and also not the type who usually seeks physical attention like that. at this point i’m okay with whatever, friends or more i don’t care, i just don’t understand anything that’s happening. most of the time when we hang out it feels like it did before we started dating, when it was obvious we were both into each other, but because she was the one to end things i feel like it would be disrespectful to flirt any more than i already am trying to. i just don’t know if i’m supposed to just be her friend or if she’s waiting for me to respond to one of those mixed signals. she is fully aware of my feelings, i made it clear a few times, so even if there’s no intentions from her end she still has to know what she is doing. we leave for vacation in two weeks, and i wanna talk to her about it but i don’t wanna make anything awkward on the trip. im also fully aware im too delusional and blindsided by my own feelings for her which is why i desperately would like some outside perspective. if anyone has ideas or thoughts or advice they’d all be greatly appreciated :/ even if you’re just guessing at motivations, you can see clearer than i lmfao

I recently bought a Blue Yeti Nano, it arrived yesterday. When I plug it to my computer for the first time it did turn on, but when I downloaded Logitech G Hub it completely turned off and won't turned on again.
I've tried to plug it on another pc just to verify it isn't my pc but I wouldn't turn on either.
I already tried looking for it on the Device Manager but it won't appear anywhere.
I've also tried resetting it, but the front button just stays red and it just stays like that...
I already talked to support yesterday but they told me it might be a hardware issue and they just told me to return it.
​
(8:58:28 pm) Peter O.: If everything has been tried and the unit only have red led and no response, it might be hardware issue itself.
(8:59:54 pm) Peter O.: If the issue persists. Since the purchase date is still within 30 days, we will need to refer to the point of purchase/store for a return and exchange due to their warranty policy.
(9:00:21 pm) Peter O.: For now please do reach out to them and in any case that they do not honor the return, please request for a denial letter then let us know or respond to this email so that we may take action accordingly.
​
I don't know if there is another option I can try, any ideas are welcome.

This post might be a little jumbled, but I do need to get this off my chest. Finding closure in my dad's passing from many years ago.
It all happened so fast, and I never had time to prepare. I was at home playing video games many summers ago, and my mom went to visit him at the hospital. My mom was taking a long time for some reason. I started getting a little suspicious that something was off, but I shrugged it off. Turns out my first instinct was right.
Then when she came home at night, she called me into the living room and told me he was gone. That's it. No preparation, nothing. It left me in shock, and it's the kind of moment that sticks with you forever. How do you even prepare for something so sudden? You don't.
And then a week later at the funeral, the person in the casket didn't even look like my dad AT ALL. He looked like a haunting ghost mannequin mockery of sorts. Why did I have to take a look? I never wanted my last memory of him to be...whatever THAT was. Just awful. Even my mom agreed that it didn't look like him in the slightest bit.
I'm sure there are some people who can relate to their loved one in the casket looking nothing they were when they were alive. It's like I had the news of dad's death dumped on me like a pack of bowling balls, and then just being thrown into looking at his body with zero preparation at all.
I've recently requested an online death certificate, so that I can get the address of the cemetery where he was buried. It's been a while since he passed, so I don't remember where exactly (though I still have a vague idea). And aside from the initial burial, I've never been to his grave before since for the longest time I didn't have a car until recently.
But I seriously realize that I've never gotten closure and now is a good time. Just visiting his grave, leaving flowers and maybe having a so called "talk" with him. Talking with my therapist has really made me realize that I've never gotten the closure I needed, and that this is a good step in the right direction.