I am writing this on a burner account. I needed a way to vent my thoughts about the current situation on campus.
I am so disappointed by what has happened today with the Pro-Palestine movement occupying Arts West. I am so disappointed because I was on the cusp of joining their peaceful protest, but now I can't ever imagine myself doing that. Their actions today have repulsed me.
I think most people can agree with a simple proposition. "Let's not partner with war criminals, or those who are directly aiding war criminals". That was a proposition I could get behind. But I can't get behind obstructing other people from going about trying to improve their daily lives and trespassing on property that isn't mine.
It reeks of self entitlement.
I spoke to a friend I have earlier this week who has been in the encampment for the past couple of weeks. I really hope they read this. But this friend said something along the lines of "the police are just the tools of the oppressors." It struck me as a flimsy argument that gives you you the freedom to break the law, and to ignore the good reasons why that law might be there in the first place. It struck me as just the thing any extremist would say to warrant them breaking the law. It struck me as something Avi Yemini might say.
Ultimately, if you dislike Melbourne Uni so much and want to get them where it hurts, then STOP PAYING THEM THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR YOUR DEGREES AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. I know law students at the protests screaming about how Unimelb is complicit in genocide, while at the same time paying EXORBITANT fees and hankering after that "prestigous" piece of paper saying that they went to Melbourne Law School. How hypocritical can you get! You are part of the problem! And if you still feel the need to protest the Uni after that, go ahead! But not before.
Because of their actions today, I am disappointed because they've now ostracised a whole bunch of people like me who were sympathetic to their cause and only made the situation worse.
I leave with a quote from a show near and dear to my heart. Not saying that the Pro-Palestine movement is not a worthy cause, but as a warning against those who may be tempted to fight "by any means necessary" and risk becoming what they hate in the process.
From Season 2 of Avatar, The Last Airbender.
Wan Shi Tong : You betrayed my trust. From the beginning, you intended to misuse this knowledge for evil purposes.
Sokka : You don't understand. If anyone's evil, it's the Fire Nation! You saw what they did to your library. They're destructive and dangerous. We need this information!
Wan Shi Tong : You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified? Countless others before you have come here, seeking weapons, weaknesses or battle strategies!

I know Law Society sells past papers but would be nice to see how a good answer looks like to give a little bit of guidance on answering as knowing the material alone won't be enough.

Why has pure math 32 gotten this wierd compared to past papers. It was an aight paper but jeez a few questions were such wierd ass ones. Frustrating paper really. What do you'll think?

Bonsoir! I'm a beginner in French. I'm confused about when to use the 'eu' when using 'avoir' in the following sentence.

For example, is it correct to say - J'ai eu parle'? Thus, using 'avoir' in the present tense (J'ai) and past tense (eu) and then the past participle of the main verb, being parler (parle')?

Please excuse the absence of apostrophes, I'm on an English keyboard. Merci!

Disclaimer: I am Chinese and cannot speak or read Uyghur. Xinjiang is a vast land, and the online communication of residents is strictly controlled, so even people from different regions are unaware of the specific situation in other regions, and there are significant differences between different regions. I tried to cross validate using sources from different ethnic groups as much as possible, but my language definitely caused some bias in my sampling.
There is a long-term tense relation between local ethnic groups, especially between the Han and Uyghur ethnic groups. A local Han who sympathized with the Uyghur told me that his American friend who visited described it as "racial segregation, and it was spontaneous among people.".
Other ethnic minorities also have resentment towards Uyghur people due to Uyghur nationalism. They also suffered from repression, although not as severe as the Uyghurs. Some blame the government, while others blame the Uyghurs.
Local Han generally believe this is what Uyghurs deserve. Mainland Chinese are generally unaware of this matter due to censorship, but no hostility towards Uyghurs.
Not all, but there are definitely some events that meet the criteria for terrorist attacks. It also involves indiscriminate attacks on other ethnic minorities and Uyghur who do not agree with them.
CPC actually tries to conceal these events as much as possible. If it is really impossible to conceal, their public deaths are much less than what actually happened, whether the deceased were Han Chinese, attacked Uyghurs, or attackers. The public parts are due to the controversy caused by the discovery of large-scale detention.
What other separatists did was also concealed as much as possible. CPC seems to primarily aim to avoid resentment towards the Uyghurs as a whole among the majority of people in China, and pretend its rule is prosperous and unshakable.
A local Hui who have been hacked by terrorists before:

If officials claim nothing happened, means manything happened. If officials claim one or two people died, means a group of people have died. If officials claim thirty people died, means a village has disappeared.
Separatists and CCP went to war, and the people suffered.

Uyghurs mainly reside in the southern Xinjiang region and are mainly poor farmers. Most areas in southern Xinjiang are mainly Uyghur, although Han immigrants have appeared in urban areas in the past two decades. Before the crackdown, a rural Uyghur may have never seen any native Chinese speakers in their lifetime. When I visited there last year, most adult Uyghurs can't speak Chinese at all, and most who speak fluent Chinese are businessperson. I visited there with the company of a local Uyghur friend(abbreviated as T). Most of the repression was lifted in 2021, and what I saw was a mild version:

Small mosques are demolished or sealed off. The landmark mosques has been preserved, but locals dare not enter because it poses a risk of getting them into trouble. Inside are mainly tourists. All Arabic slogans have been covered or replaced with Uyghur versions. Halal symbols are prohibited. Some tourists are Uyghurs from northern Xinjiang. They have greater freedom. Locals are not allowed to wear Ḥijāb or grow large beards. Uyghur ethnic clothing without religious significance is also taboo. The stores sell them, but only for tourists. All cutting tools on the street are restricted to fixed objects with iron chains. Economic decline. Not many locals consume. During the period of severe repression, people had no income. Even civil servants are owed wages by the government due to financial constraints. Before 2017, schools almost exclusively taught Uyghur language, and local teachers were also Uyghurs who did not speak Chinese. Now it's almost pure Chinese. T is worried about the hidden camera when speaking. All taxis have prominent cameras. All polices are Uyghur. T claims that after 2021, who is visible on the streets is not police, but just security guard disguised. The real police are either undercover or hiding. All signs are bilingual or in Chinese. Simple Uyghur language signs are prohibited. Ethnicity can be distinguished by appearance. When others notice that we are a mixed ethnic team, they will be surprised.

The riots were mainly initiated by Uyghurs from rural areas in southern Xinjiang. This place has been subjected to the most severe repression.
The total population of Uyghurs is over 10 million. No one can be certain how many had entered the camp. They don't have an interconnected database for this. I read a local official privately claiming that perhaps 500,000 are a close number. When I mentioned that Western media claimed the number was one million, and T felt it was an underestimate. Another Uyghur from a northern city think this is an exaggeration.
As of now, Uyghurs, even if living in mainland China, dare not post too many opinions on these matters through online. Others lives Xinjiang cannot either. When they post content that the local government deems inappropriate, they may be knocked on and asked to delete their posts. This is highly unlikely to happen in other regions.
A local programmer told me, if the photos you take accidentally include any part of camps, when it is post online, it would disappear directly.
In the past few years, the density of Uyghur people visible in the inland has significantly increased. Young people from various ethnic groups in Xinjiang seem to be generally trying to leave Xinjiang due to limited freedom and insufficient income. Riots and repression have both led to loss of the Han population. A resident of Urumqi told me that the actual population here may only be half of what is recorded on paper. Xinjiang government is attempting to recruit Han Chinese from mainland China to settle down.
In mainland, when reside in hotels, Uyghurs will be registered by the police. Only specific qualified hotels are allowed to accept them. Several male Uyghurs said they may have been raided and inspected by the police at night.
Uyghurs have different opinions. I do know three Uyghurs clearly express that CPC's suppression is generally good, although they still complain. This includes T, whose father was once detained in a camp. I don't know the proportion of different opinions. The random Uyghurs themselves seem unclear about this too.
The camp seems to have different levels. My data point from Uyghur in rural area of southern Xinjiang and specifically, there was indeed a terrorist attack carried out by the residents from this town, so this is the most extreme situation. By T, camp and repression were described as:

In 2017, if you are an adult male and not in school or college, likely to enter a camp. This is about 80% of men. It almost came to an end after September 2019. Two thirds of them had returned. (The rest are mainly sentenced, with a few deaths) Pure torment. Later, the government was afraid of the West, and people gained meat in their diet and skill training. (about diet, I explain as the financial difficulties faced by the Xinjiang government. After the camps attracted international attention, they received more funding from the central government.)
Government know they just need to persuade the househead. Women and children will obey him. Many excuses be used to get you into the camp. Sometimes it's intentional to provoke you, and when conflicts occur, they tell you that your viewpoint is flawed (needs to be modified). They will inquire and analyze from neighbors what you have done before and recently. If you lie, they will find out. TBH, Han cadres are most rational. The main ones bullying us are Uyghur cadres.
Submissive people were released after one or two years. Disobedient people were sentenced to prison. Who completely disobeys had died. There are an average of 400 families in the village. They would receive seven or eight corpses from the camp. Those sentenced families have had difficult times. Only women and two children in the family, difficult to survive. Women are easily bullied, children do not obey her, wander around and do not help her with work. The villagers did nothing wrong. My father is not interested in religion. When he returned from the camp, he spoke Chinese more fluently than me. Outsiders recruiting locals for terrorist attacks, then they fled, and locals were retaliated against. Many people here are uneducated. They are easily deceived by outsiders (to create a terrorist attack/riot). This is brainwashing to prevent them from being deceived by outsiders. I hate those outsiders. They have caused many families to break down, and give us Uyghurs a bad reputation. Islam is good, distorted by these people. I dislike the local extremist religion before. I was not even allowed to sing.

He described the welfare policy:

The government has established new villages. You only need to pay a small fee to move over. Most of the expenses are subsidized by the government. They have carried out infrastructure construction. Our living environment has improved a lot. But the economy has not been developed, and our income has not increased. If your family is considered trustworthy, you may be helped to start a business in mainland. If someone is sentenced, their family will receive financial assistance.

He is a firsthand witness to the terrorist attack that occurred locally:

This has been reported as the death of thirty Hans. It's completely different. Terrorists intercepted the road and killed all Han trapped in the convoy. The Uyghur who resisted them were also killed. The actual number of deaths is over a thousand. I can't believe my childhood friends would kill people. The next day, the tank arrived at our village. All participants had been captured. The rest of us were frequently visited by cadres. Terrorists intercept convoys by chopping down trees. So the government forced the people to cut down the trees next to the road a few years ago.

A fanfiction of The Nature of Predators by SpacePaladin15 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/u19xpa/the_nature_of_predators/
Previous Prologue Next
Memory Transcription Subject: Slanek, Venlil Space Corps
Date [standardized Earth time]: August 21, 2136
Walking into the lab, we were welcomed by a Pokemon that looked oddly familiar to me, a pink creature with predatory eyes and small wings that looked completely vestigial. It wasn’t until I saw the Human inspecting a large screen embedded in the wall that I recognised them. Lilith and Sara, who were among the first Terrans to have visited Venlil Prime. Lilith, whose species was the ‘Clefable’ if I remember correctly, gestured for the three of us to come further into the lab.
“Hello there, thank you for coming so soon after settling in! It seems a lot of Venlil are quite excited to do the Infinity Energy tests.”
I give a slightly nervous ear flick in response.
“I uh, really just wanted to get this over and done with.”
“Right, well in that case you’ll be glad to know that this takes no time at all. It’ll be over before you know it, and you’ll have your exchange partners beside you through the whole process.”
I look up at Marcel and Felix, who both give me further reassuring glances. Marcel seems a little nervous though, awkwardly standing just in front of the door and obviously having no idea what he should be doing. As the Clefable leads me over to a chair and gestures for me to take a seat, she passes over a piece of paper and a pen.
“This is the consent form, please read it out completely and carefully before writing your basic information and signature.”
Lilith then bounds away to converse with Sara, who is still looking at the large screen teeming with strange writing and graphs. As I read through the consent form, I only grow more worried.
‘Permanent Infinity Energy infusion.’
‘Monitored for remainder of Space Corps service.’
‘Possibility of previously unknown side effects.’
I look over to Marcel and Felix, beckoning them over with a wave of my tail. Marcel kneels down beside the chair, bringing the three of us to roughly eye level as Felix rests on his shoulder.
“Sorry, but can you two just… stay close? This seems a bit more intense than I was expecting.”
Felix nods furiously, followed by Marcel giving a small, closed mouth smile.
“Of course, we’ll be right here.”
“After this is over, we can all get some food from the cafeteria. A nice salad or something, alright?”
The Human’s suggestion sounds nice, and my tail sways in agreement. I sign the form after reading through it a second time, and Lilith soon comes over to collect it. As she does so, I see Sara walking over with some wires and wool clips. She places them on a nearby table before turning to finally address me.
“Hello Mr Slanek, sorry for the wait. It’s just, the data we’ve gathered so far from the other Venlil is beyond fascinating. It's an amazing opportunity to investigate how life not native to Earth reacts with Infinity Energy and uh… you probably don’t care, sorry.”
With a lightly red hue showing in her cheeks, she grabs the wires and clips, and gets started on attaching them to various points on my body. From my knees to my paws, snout, ears, stomach, chest, tail… almost everywhere, really. This all only makes my nerves grow even more.
“Now, just as a warning, this will probably hurt a bit. It’s only for a moment though, and it just means that everything is working.”
As Sara attaches the last clip to the wool on my back, she walks back over to large screen on the opposite wall, which I am surprised to find now displays a wireframe model of myself. I notice my paws are beginning to shake slightly, and I turn towards my exchange partners, hoping to find solace. Not so long ago, I would never have even fathomed the idea of looking to predators for comfort, but now…
I reach out a shaking paw towards them. After hesitating for a moment, a look of surprise coming over his face, Marcel reaches out and takes hold of it. Felix scurries down the Human’s arm and places his own small paw on top of mine as Marcel gives it a gentle squeeze.
Turning back to the rest of the lab, Sara is swiping her hand to rotate the wireframe model of my body, while Lilith is retrieving something from a large, formerly locked box nearby. She pulls out a small yellow crystal, and walks back over to me. Sara sidles up beside her partner, and double checks the wire clips one last time as the Clefable holds out the crystal to me.
“This is a revive, which will inject Infinity Energy directly into you. Make sure you hold onto it tight, ok?”
I take a deep breath, giving Marcel’s hand and Felix’s paw a gentle squeeze as I do so.
“Understood.”
I reach out with my other paw, and grab onto the revive. For a moment, nothing happens, but then the revive begins to glow. I shut my eyes tight against the blinding light, and tighten my grip on the crystal. A strange sensation, like waves of pressure, emanate from where the revive touches my paw. Through my arm, across my chest, up my neck and down my navel un-
“BRAKH!”
I cry out as pain suddenly engulfs my snout and legs. A loud beeping noise comes from the clips attached to them, which I silently pray means that everything is working as it should. It feels like my legs are trying to rip themselves apart at the knees, and I understand instantly why I’m sat down for this. My snout too lights up, as if on fire without the heat, forcing me to grit my teeth until my jaw starts hurting as well from the preassure alone. I tighten my grip on both the revive and my partners. I feel weight shifting, and Felix’s paw disappears. Not a moment later, something warm and fuzzy jumps up onto the chair beside me, reaching up to rest a paw on my shoulder.
“It’s alright, we’re right here.”
I go to wrap my tail around him, only to find something strange. My tail has gone numb. The mixture of sensations, from numbness to pain, continues for a little while. As the revive breaks down into grey dust, I can finally open my eyes and unclench my teeth. Steadily, the searing pain fades, leaving my tail numb and my snout and legs sore. I breathe deeply again, and I turn my attention to Felix and Marcel. I retrieve my paw from Marcel’s grip and Felix hops back down from the chair. The Human reaches over to lightly pat me on the back.
“There we go, all over now. You did great, Slanek.”
“Th-thanks.”
Lilith comes over and begins detaching the clips from my wool, while Sara is already tapping away at the screen, the wireframe model of my body now looking very different than it was before. The majority of it is now coloured a stark white, although notably my snout and legs are a dimmer shade of muted grey. The only splash of actual colour is in my tail, the entire limb a vivid purple, most intense at the tip. After inspecting it for a moment, Sara turns back around to address me.
“Thank you for coming, Mr Slanek. The full results of this test will be sent to your holopad shortly, but I’ll give you the most important information now.”
Sara taps the screen a few times, and labels written in Venscript appear as a key for the colours.
White – Mixed
Violet – Poison
Grey – Unknown
“Your results are consistent with what we’ve seen in all the other Venlil that have been tested so far. Most of your body contain a mixture of all Types of IE, similar to Humans. Different Venlil seem to have the Poison IE concentrate in different areas of the body, I’ve seen it in arms, abdomen, throat, wool and elsewhere. For you it’s in the tail, which so far seems fairly common. The grey zones are the most interesting, as they’re in the same areas for each and every Venlil; the snout and legs. Combine that with how this energy isn’t quite Normal but also not Typeless, not to mention it’s almost complete lack of reactivity to external or internal stimuli… it will certainly be an area of research I'll happily dive into soon.”
As Sara explains the results of the test, Marcel helps me to stand up again. At first, I’m a little unsteady as my legs still feel slightly odd, but leaning on his arm helps. The numb feeling in my tail slowly fades, and I experimentally shake it back and forth a few times. There is… Poison in it? It doesn’t feel any different, at least at the moment. After Lilith and Sara once again thank me for my cooperation, the three of us are ushered out of the lab, left standing together in the hallway as another mini herd files in after us. I turn to look up at my companions, a slight bloom making its way onto my face.
“Hey, uh, sorry for what happened in there. To predators it’s probably a show of weakness to need someone sticking nearby but-”
“Okay, we’re nipping that ‘weakness’ shit in the bud right now.”
Felix’s surprising angry voice catches me off guard, and for a second I’m worried that I said something to make him mad. I realise that, in a way, I had… but not for the reason I thought.
“Needing a friend ain’t weakness, Slanek. Just look at Marc and I!”
Marcel smiles at the Buizel, before turning his gaze back down at me. His predatory gaze seems stern, and yet somehow friendly, despite that being essentially oxymoronic.
“Slanek, if I’ve learned anything from my time in the military, it’s that ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ are meaningless words in isolation. People can only reach their full potential when they have others lifting them up, whether they be a Human or Pokemon. I doubt Venlil are any different.”
Something flashes through my mind, a memory that Marcel's words invoked. Of course. One of the first pieces of Terran media I saw after First Contact; 'The Power of Us'. Felix nods along excitedly, jumping down from the Human's shoulder to be a bit closer to my level.
“Never call yourself weak again, alright? Marcel and I were already growing stronger with just the two of us, but now we have a brand-new friend? The three of us together will be unstoppable!”
Marcel snickers slightly.
“Not really the angle I was going for, but sure. Anyway, that packet of chips wasn't nearly enough. Like I said earlier, let’s go grab something from the cafeteria, alright?”
Seemingly immediately forgetting the previous topic, Felix’s eyes light up and his tails whir into action.
“Oh! I hope they have Wacan berries!”
As Felix rapidly ascends back up onto Marcel’s shoulder, my own tail begins to sway back and forth again. The predators’ kind words lifted my spirits and cast aside the embarrassment I had felt, spurring me to happily step forwards and follow the Human’s lead towards the station’s cafeteria.
As we made our way through the halls, I paid more attention to the various pairs and trios we passed. The Venlil all ranged from bubbling with excitement, a spring in their step as they walked joyfully beside their partners, to barely containing their fear, shaking slightly as they stuck close to the walls and avoided looking at most of the more predatory looking Pokemon. I wasn’t at either extreme, though I was leaning towards the former. I strode beside Marcel with contentment, mentally thanking my past self for signing up for the program. I was nervous to meet them at first, but it took almost no time at all for me to recognise the friends I had already been speaking to over text for whole herds of paws at this point.
When we reached the cafeteria, the place was already alive with many Terrans and Venlil. Some sat just with their exchange partners, while others gathered into larger herds, with the countless conversations happening between them melding together with the clinking of cutlery. Even out here on this station, with by far the strangest creatures in the Universe, the sound of people enjoying each other’s company was oh so familiar.
The three of us collected our meals and decided just to sit by ourselves, eventually finding a spot near a rather short Venlil sitting with a large, purple serpentine Pokemon that was presumably their partner. As Marcel and I set our meals down on the table, Felix quickly grabs a pastry from Marcel’s tray.
“I call dibs on the Wacan muffin!”
Marcel has selected some sort of soup for himself, while I chose a simple bunt leaf salad, although my serving seemed to have some sort of fruit in it that I didn’t recognise. I prodded the yellow chunks around, trying to determine if I had gotten some underripe juicefruit or something, catching Marcel’s attention.
“That’s Shuca berry. Not really my thing, but it’s decently popular.”
“Oh, it’s an Earth fruit?”
“Yep, looks like the kitchen’s experimenting with mixing cuisines. This soup is… surprisingly spicy.”
Looking up at the Human, I find that his face has turned a slight reddish hue, the flush no doubt signifying that he was struggling. A quick peek at the contents of his meal provides an answer, making me whistle slightly in laughter.
“Ah, that would be firefruit. Fitting name, isn’t it?”
“Fuck, you can say that again.”
As I watch my Human partner gulp down his glass of water, I pick up a few bunt leaves along with a small chunk of the Shuca berry and pop them in my mouth. The yellow fruit goes well with the bunt leaves, providing a mild but nice sweetness with the slightest kick of spice. Though, obviously not nearly as much as Marcel’s firefruit. The Human soon excuses himself to refill his water, Felix throwing a teasing quip his way between bites of the muffin.
“Fire Type doesn’t suit you, Marc!”
While trying to stifle my laughter at my friend’s misfortune, a slightly alarmed, raspy voice coming from my right catches my attention.
“Ssssevik, are you alright?”
Turning to my right, I find the large serpent Pokemon sitting nearby looking at her Venlil partner with concern. He is holding a paw over his stomach and groaning slightly.
“Y-yeah Arbok, I’m fi-fi -hurk-”
He gives a horrible sound somewhere between a burp and a retch, grabbing the attention of a few other people around us.
“Wassss it the berriesss?”
“N-no it’s -hurk- I think is the Pois- -hurk-“
Thinking quickly, one of the nearby Humans passes the Venlil a plastic bag. He accepts it and tries to thank them, only for his attempt to be interrupted by more retching. Just as he seems to lose control of his meal completely, he cries out.
“Gastro Acid!”
Instead of the typically yellowy green, the Venlil expels a thick, deep purple fluid into the bag. After a single powerful heave, the Venlil looks back up, seemingly slightly dizzy. A moment later, a sizzling sound can be heard coming from the bag, the bottom of which soon breaks. The acidic substance spills onto the floor, having corroded through the plastic like it was nothing. For a while, nobody makes a sound, nor barely moves. Venlil, Human and Pokemon alike in our little section of the cafeteria are all staring at the poor little Venlil who in turn has his eyes glued onto the now useless plastic bag. As for the purple acid, it soon fizzles away into nothing, leaving the floor spotless with no evidence that it ever existed.
The sound of approaching footsteps makes me turn around with a slight jump, finding Marcel returning with a new glass of water. His eyes dart first to the silent crowd, then to the small Venlil, then finally to me and Felix.
“Uh, did I miss something?”
Previous Prologue Next
~~~~~~~

NoPokedex

Humans - Typeless
Gojid - Steel/Rock

• Sovlin: Metal Claw & Rollout

Venlil - Normal /Poison

• Kam: ??? & Poison Jab
• Slanek: ??? & ???

Arxur - Dragon/???

• Isif: Dragon Pulse & ???

Tilfish - Bug/Dark
Zurulian - ???/???
Farsul - ???/???
Kolshian - ???/???
Yotul - ???/???
Mazic - ???/???
Dossur - ???/???
Sivkit - ???/???
Krakotl - Flying/???
Harchen - ???/???
Duertan - Flying/???
Thafki - Wate???
Sulean - ???/???
Iftali - ???/???
Drezjin - Flying/???
Jaur - ???/???
Letian - ???/???
Leshee - ???/???
Yulpa - ???/???

I'm taking 3 subjects. Maths, Chemistry and Physics. And I'm planning on giving my exams for AS in oct/nov 2024 and then A2 in May/June 2025 as a private student. So that I can join a uni in september 2025. I'm really worried about how I will be able to first complete these subjects and then prepare for their past papers. Should I even aim for A/A*?
I would delay them but as someone who's already 22 this year. I think I should really hurry and get into a uni as I'm lacking behind considering my age. Am I screwed? Would really appreciate any advice.

i (29f) am 5’10 (177cm) and have gone from 268 lbs to 254 lbs in the past month. i’m quite dense and carry my weight well, so my goal is like 205-215 range. usually i start to look a little like a stick bug when i get under 200, but i haven’t seen that weight since 2019 prepandemmy
i know 14 lbs in a month is a quick loss, i know some of it is water weight, and i know i still have a good amount of weight to lose. but i think i was expecting to see a bigger difference after losing 20%ish of my goal. im not sure if this means as i’ve gotten older i will need to lose more this time, or if the paper towel effect will come make my dreams come true later lol
anyways, today im equal parts celebrating and grumbling and just needed to vent a bit 😭😭

Rant about an entitled guy at OFII appointment
I had an appointment yesterday with OFII to sign a CIR contact. For those who don’t know, when you get your carte de séjour, you have to sign this contract between the state and you, basically promising to respect the values of France. And then you need to take a 4 day civic course.
So, the whole point is, you already got french papers, afterwards you do this and that will help you to renew your next card and get a multi year card.
The thing that happened before my appointment really annoyed me. This is a throwaway account for me but I waited a long long time to change my status and get a card to work again. I waited more than 2 years for a reply (not for the visa as I already had a visa, I’ve been living in France, lost a job and papers, do everything again directly at prefecture, waited 2 years for a yes / no, it’s a long story). I wasn’t allowed to leave the country or work during this time. It was brutal. But I got it and I am free. I can’t explain the level of happiness and gratitude that I feel cause I got the best card that exists. So I go to the appointment as happy as one can be, as this can help me to renew my next card for multiple years, not just 1. I live here and I respect France. I know why I went to the appointment and what it means.
So I get their way before the appointment to wait and line starts to pile up. A guy that’s 25-30 years old cuts the line in front of me. Literally skipped like 20 people and stands in front of me. I tried to ignore because, a part of getting this contract, you have to do a French test and for some reason I got scared even though I speak French.
He had a weird attitude, and he started asking people why are we here? What’s the point of this? It confused me but ok.
And then he asked me if I have papers? Yes. He was disgusted. He told me and a guy standing in front of me that he already got a letter from OFII in December but he threw it in the garbage. F them.
This day + 4 day civic courses are obligatory and you can not skip it. It’s free. You come, they test your french, you talk about your future in France and they can redirect you to some stuff (for example if you don’t have a good level of french, they send you to a mandatory but FREE school to learn French). You learn the law in those civic courses, you learn your rights. You even get free food when you do take those 4 day course. Basically everything is for YOU. In return, you promise to respect the country and it’s values. No one asks you, it just stated on the contract that you signed, but that’s the point.
And then he started to make fun of France. It’s a stupid course. He doesn’t need to test his french. He earns money, what’s the point to come here? He doesn’t give a sh*t about French values. He doesn’t want to learn about history. Just dragging his feet and asking ‘but why do I have to be here’? Or saying ‘french values’ and laughing and shaking his head. I was speechless. They’ve been ‘bothering him with letters to come to the appointment’. F them and France, man. He started to talk to me and I told him that he is missing the point, this is for him, not for anyone else. If he wants to stay, he has to integrate. He went on a rant and I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t know what to say anymore.
I was surprised by the bal*s that he had. And honestly, I was mad. Another guy next to me was very uncomfortable too. You don’t have to love France as much as I do but to stand in FRONT of the door of OFII, where you are going to sign an ‘integration contract’ and say this?
He shut up when they opened the door.
But this left a sour taste in my mouth, cause I am still thinking about it. I almost told someone inside but I didn’t want to be a Karen. I kinda hoped they have cameras but I didn’t see them. When we went into the classroom, French test started right away so I didn’t want to get up in front of everyone and say what happened. If they heard ONE sentence he said, they would’ve not given him the contract. It was horrible, I didn’t even write everything he said here.
Anyway, he probably signed a contract that he respects France and he is getting his multi stay card next year. I feel guilty for not saying anything but don’t think it would make any difference anyway and I didn’t want to risk my papers. Sorry for writing in English, I passed my french test (yay) and I don’t need any french classes but it’s easier to go on a rant in english for some reason.

Background information: I completed school in 2020 without taking my GCSE exams due to COVID-19. Consequently, I received teacher-assessed grades. Over the next three years, I pursued catering at college with the ambition of becoming a chef. During this time, I managed to attain my maths GCSE on my first attempt and my English GCSE on my second attempt, finally having the opportunity to sit the exams after two years of COVID-19 disruptions. However, in my final year, I became disenchanted with the idea of being a chef and discovered a passion for geology. To pursue geology at university, I needed a science GCSE and planned to take an access course to higher education.
Now, my dilemma: I am currently taking GCSE biology and have already completed the first exam, with preparations underway for the second. Recently, I underwent an interview for the access course, which required me to undergo English, maths, and science assessments. Due to a lack of preparation time, I performed poorly. Consequently, I received an email rejecting my application due to my assessment performance. This rejection left me feeling depressed and questioning the significance of my GCSEs, as they seemed invalidated by this assessment. I have lost motivation to revise for my GCSE paper 2 exam, feeling it is pointless. Additionally, I am unable to apply for a foundation year because I need a combined science GCSE, which I am not currently studying. It feels like hitting a dead end, and the prospect of waiting another year to start over is disheartening. I am overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness and depression.
I don't want to waste another 3 years and be feel to old and feel defeated

i just completed 12th. so here’s my marks cs-98 english- 96 math- 73 phy- 92 chem- 95
i scored well in all except math. i expected more in math than the rest of the subjects.
out of the whole paper, i was unsure about 2 2 marks questions and 2 mcqs. i was confident about the rest of the paper.
but in my whole school no one scored above 85, so im doubtful if i even wrote the paper well.
im considering of giving my paper for re evaluation.
any advice?
also is there a chance that my marks can decrease more?
there r three steps 1) verification of marks 2) obtaining photocopy of answer books 3) re- evaluation
can i get a copy of my answer sheet without verification of my marks? as i believe that there is a risk of losing more marks
help me out guys as soon as possible 🙏🥲

throwaway account since the person i’m about to talk about uses reddit semi frequently, and i’m sorry if my grammar isn’t that good i’m just writing this without any idea on what to say but essentially i’ve been having feelings for this person all the way back in middle school and without going into details they were the sole reason why i’m still here, so entering highschool i asked them out and they rightfully told me no (but now thinking about it, if they did say yes the relationship would’ve been “terrible” as back then i’ve only saw them as a savior and not for who they truly were as a person so having these high expectations of then would lead to dissatisfaction from me) and because of that we became distant, fast forward to around 3rd year of highschool we reconnected, and after getting out of a extremely toxic relationship and a traumatic event due to the relationship, we’ve gotten extremely close to each other and i asked them out again and they said, looking back on how our relationship was, i’ve truly been the happiest i’ve ever been, but besides the point a few weeks before graduation we got into a heated argument and on the day of graduation, after the whole ceremony they told me that they want a break from the relationship due to their mental health and i was devastated, but respectfully i told them that it was okay and that i hope by the time they felt like they’re mentally stable enough to resume the relationship that i’ll be there to support them in anyway possible
fast forward to around a month later, they told me that they felt like they’re mentally stable to continue the relationship… and not even 3 days later we broke up because what i want in a relationship is frequent communication, they claimed that they’re unable to provide that to me (along with other stuff but i can’t remember the specifics other than what i provided) so i entered a deep depression, fast forward to when freshman orientation for my university started, they message me asking for me to help their mom since their mom barely knew any english so i was used as a sub for their mom, around lunch break i stupidly asked them if they wanted to get back together (i still don’t know why i asked them this to this day) and they said no and for the rest of the orientation i was monotone with them, around the end of orientation while we waited for their mom to pick us up i asked them if they still had feelings for me and they told me although they’re not sure themselves since it’s been a while since we last saw each other irl they still had feelings for me. fast forward to the beginning of the semester i tried really hard to try to distance myself from them in order to move on because at that point i essentially gave up on any hope on us getting back together, and yet the few times i was around them, all the memories of our past relationship flood back to me, i still remember the 1st time i saw them around the 1st few weeks of uni, it was like i feel in love with them all over again and remember why i continue to believe in a chance of us getting back together.
fast forward to around the end of the 1st semester and all of 2nd semester of uni, due to some circumstances we frequently hangout a lot to the point once a week we would see each other and hangout for a few hours and if we didn’t hangout we would be on call for hours like how we used to, but to be honest it felt like we were in a relationship with the way we would be around each other, yet in the back of my mind i’ve always told myself “but it isn’t the same, you’re just friends and nothing more” so although my feelings for them grew due to the multiple times we would hangout i always doubted that it was anything more than just hanging out, now fast forward to a few hours ago we hangout together like usual but since we hung out during finals week this is most likely the last time i’d see them irl for a while due to them potentially moving states during summer break and them also dropping out of uni due to their mental health, i’m ashamed of saying this but because of my anxiety i just couldn’t use my voice at all so on my notes app i told them if they wanted to get back together but start from scratch, and well they told me no since although they’re alright right now they don’t know if they’ll have another mental break like what they had during quarantine and around the few weeks we argued before going on break and they don’t want me to experience that all over again and that they might be busy around summer along with them looking for a job, and that they wanted to focus on themselves before getting into a relationship again, but they acknowledged that they see that i’m ready to give our relationship another chance, they told me they i’ll probably need to wait a few more years before they feel like they’re ready again
so now i’m here to ask because i genuinely don’t know what to do since my emotions are conflicting each other so i don’t trust myself from making a decision about this, do i wait another few more years just for them, or what else do i do because i just don’t know what to do anymore. i’ve should’ve added this earlier but the time we broke up until now will almost be exactly 11 months (so exactly 1 month and 4-5 days from now it will exactly be an entire year of us breaking up and me waiting, just clinging onto any hope of us getting back together, and another thing was that a few days before we broke up we had a convo about what would happen to us if we did break up and they told me that it’ll take them a year until they’re comfortable with us getting back together) and throughout all of this i’ve been respectful of their decision every time i asked them (other that when i asked them during orientation), i’ve never tried to make it seem like it’s their fault that they aren’t ready still and i understand if they aren’t ready as i wouldn’t want them to say yes but immediately regret it once they realize that they’re not ready still

This is a rant about my stuff.
I took everything to my ex's place, was rushed, and one bin of stuff never fully dried and I opened the bin, today. Now I have to rewash everything inside and see what's salvageable.
I want to properly do the Kon Mari method, but clothes have been such a sore issue and I'm waiting to actually fit into stuff again. I have alot of hangups around clothes I am trying to work through first while trying to consolidate my stuff from 3 locations into mainly 1 location. Also, I am in a program with personal property restrictions that I could only bring a couple of bins at a time, and the Kon Mari method says to make a pile of all of your clothes, pick your favorite things and use that as a guide to figure out what does or doesn't bring joy.
I have gotten rid of mediums and larges because I never liked how I looked in adult six small clothing and up. I was always children's sized, gained a bunch of weight (And not in a good way), then gained more weight, then gained more weigh. I know for a fact that nothing above a size small brings me joy except for 2 items worn as a set which I want to try on again and will likely give away within a year from now.
The only adult clothes above an adult small I am keeping besides maybe the 2 named items are 1 shirt which is otherwise the same as 1 I have for regular wear and can be used for crafting matching items; and I have video game swag I imagined being given away at a need event I used to attend that the host used to give away things from a friend who used to hoard as prizes, or I can sell them now that some of this stuff is limited videogame stuff you can only get if you attended a certain convention, and that's been separate this whole time.
I gained a ton of weight and lost a ton of muscle simultaneously during the pandemic which sucked. Was eating really shittily, and am finally eating 3x a day from a meal provider and I calculate about 2 lbs of weight loss per month between my work commute and work assuming my body gets used to the eating every day and makes that my baseline. Unfortunately it could take me 4 to 16 lbs to go down to my prepandemic dimensions, and I have bin of clothes I can add to mg every day wardrobe and more clothes I can try on.
All in all, I have 6 bins of clothes. 1 is work clothes, 1 is half crafting and half winter clothes I am waiting until October to give away to unhoused people (This city is sweep heavy, so it is better to hold onto the clothes and give them out when it is needed.). I regret not going through go my clothes for like months after putting stuff back in storage because I could have given the winter clothes out. Someone who does food distribution has to see people shivering with blue lips. The current season clothes I am ready to give away fit in a damaged backpack which is OK for someone to use in their tent to keep things together or separated afrer a rain, just not aesthetically pleasing. The every day clothes I have right now fit in 1 bin.
1 bin is regular casual clothes I can wear. Another is winteseasonal. 1 is adult venue suitable, and another is in a similar vein. We're at 2% positivity right now which is almost 100k total cases in my city since the only data being provided right now is the test positivity rate in the hospitals. I am waiting for the test positivity rate to go below 0.1% which is 100 cases per 100k.
Going through my stuff today, I see summer and fall stuff I am currently ready to give away, however I am waiting for the season to approach so I am giving things away when people actually want/are looking for those items. For example, I have several pool floats and I have 1 July themed 1. I don't get to swim, I don't like being around top less men cis or not, and I'm probably never going to get to go to a pool party. I have 1 pool float I am probably going to hold onto, and 2 which still hurt because I am a fighting fetishist and they make for blow up weapons.
I looked through my craft supplies and brought out a bunch of stuff I didn't know if I would never use up because I recently found myself making a bunch of pet toys put of supplies left over from last holiday season. There are alot of unhoused people with baby animals right now, and pet toys are something people can use but cannot budget for if they are poor, so I am making suff and then giving them away. And I am glad to say that I won't be hoarding ribbon and faux suede indefinitely, that much of it is actually going to get used.
Over the next year, I will probably start using up my beads in different crafts and I have a couple of specific projects coming up.
Bad news, I still have 2 full bins worth of papers I need to digitize. I am trying to NOT bother with the ex anymore because I just can't, and I have a giant box of papers in his place from when I made a huge effort to downsize my storage unit. Maybe this weekend, but I don't want to see his face or hear from him.
The good thing about spending time at his place was it allowed me to wear things I would wear for him but wouldn't wear at mine, and it allowed me to get rid of a bunch of things I would have otherwise kept holding onto. It took wearing those items regularly to realize I didn't like them after all. And one item I didn't like wound up fitting me better over time and matches something as did keep, but I might still get rid of it in a year.
I would have liked to bring more items over to wear while there, but I am finding I would much rather stay at my place now that I have an ESA and the food situation has gotten better (I am in an interim housing program which is supposed to provide 3 meals a day and accommodate my dietary restrictions. They switched food providers and now I am generally able to get 3 meals a day, but there is still no laundry services on site which is an issue.). I habe exactly 1 outfit at their place which is specifically to wear at their place because I don't mind wearing it there but would never wear it where I currently live.
Once I go down in size to prepandemic clothes, I'll have more shirts, pants, and under clothes I can wear from the bin of casual wear (Which is really like a half bin worth of clothes), but I would rather get down to the lower end of my prepandemic employed weight as those pants are not as comfortable until they're in the oversized due to sensory issues.
Good news, I went through my electronics box and I found a bunch of stuff which is his. Bad news, I still have project items for him to fix along with holiday lights which went out. Good news is he might teach me how to fix the holiday lights. Bad news, he's a dick about working on electronics and had been promising me since 2015 to work on electronics together only to never actually show me anything and get angry.
Oh, and I still have my sentimental iPad which he broke. He promised me he would replace the screen. Also, a laptop screen. I might be picking up work this year which will allow me to purchase replacement screens and get him to fix it as I seem to keep breaking my devices further when I try to fix them myself. I have a phone which is simpler to fix and breaks alot. It's enough for me to know how to fix that, I guess. Even if I tried to do the iPad and laptop repairs myself, the good thing about not being complete 0 contact right now, is I don't have to spend hundreds on repair plus parts if I fuck up.
There was more, but that's about it. My holiday stuff year round is 2 bins worth of stuff and I only have 1 designated bin. ☹️ Did I say I really like Halloween? I guess I have to wait for this holiday season to do what I can while also holding back on supplies. It ultimately comes out to a bin and a bag worth of potential keeps past this winter, though.
I have a a whole foods bags of pom poms I tried to make last holiday season, and it looks like I will be finishing and giving away pom pom garlands and/or ornaments this year because I ultimately ran out of time last year except for what I finished for a community mural. And 1 bag is technically things I will be selling. So theoretically I have a bin and a bag worth of potential keeps past this winter, so that's less daunting than it sounds.
I think I might be ready to give away my felt Halloween bags, and I am ready to give away a bunch of smaller fall items I didn't think I could let go of last year, but I am waiting for Fall when people actually want that stuff. I'm sad that St. Patrick's Day passed and I had a supplies I wanted to use but didn't because my stuff was somewhere in storage. Same with Easter stuff. Now everything is consolidated.
Also, I found a pickle plush I have been stuck with because the ex bought it for me almost a decade ago and was a huge dick. My main memory from that night was us sitting in some carnival ride feeling like crap because he was belittling me and I was wondering to myself what the point of being there was while he treated me like shit. I could wash it and give it away, or I can wash it and give it to him because he loves food themed stuff. And he can be simultaneously sentimental and cruel when it comes to objects. I don't want to see the pickle at his place, and I don't want to think about him holding onto it in some weird way for years, but I don't want to look at it, and he has a ton of food themed stuffed animals. Idk. But Mr. Pickle has to go.

I have asked Chat GPT using my past experiences trying to understand a little bit more about human sexuality and emotional experiences.
Original Chat [ My english spelling isn't great as I was free fly typing, trying to foucs on the context. ]
Here is the original convo, https://chat.openai.com/share/f77f058e-2a47-431e-b195-1e6e494763ca

1. Is it true that a man can sleep with 1000 women feeling love and passion for each one and recover emotionally faster?

• While individual experiences may vary, it's not accurate to generalize that men can emotionally detach easily after engaging in sexual relationships. Emotional attachment and recovery depend on various factors, including individual personality, upbringing, past experiences, and attachment styles.

1. Is it true that a woman can't sleep with more than 1 man she feels love and passion toward without experiencing emotional difficulties, particularly in the context of prostitution?

• Again, this is a generalization that doesn't apply universally. Women, like men, vary in their emotional responses to sexual experiences. Engaging in multiple sexual relationships, even in the context of sex work, can have different emotional impacts on different individuals.

1. Can sleeping with multiple partners affect psychological well-being differently for men and women, potentially leading to future issues such as disloyalty in relationships?

• Research suggests that both men and women can experience psychological consequences from engaging in multiple sexual relationships, including feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, and difficulties in forming long-term commitments. However, these outcomes depend on individual factors such as personality, values, and relationship context.

1. Can the normalization of casual sex lead to potential issues with fidelity in future relationships, particularly for men?

• There's evidence to suggest that repeated casual sexual encounters can influence attitudes towards relationships and commitment. However, the impact varies among individuals. Some may develop a casual attitude towards sex, while others may prioritize emotional connections in their relationships. Communication, self-awareness, and personal values play crucial roles in navigating these dynamics.

Overall, it's important to recognize that human sexuality and emotional experiences are complex and diverse. While certain patterns or tendencies may exist, they don't apply universally to all individuals. Personal experiences, cultural influences, and individual differences shape how people navigate their relationships and emotions.

I am 25F and I have wasted a lot of time. This is mostly a rant, but I really need some advice as well.
I live with my parents. I lived with them when I went to college and never moved out.
I have a BA in English. I graduated right after the pandemic when the job market was pretty weak. I tried to apply for some positions but most of them were very far (my parents live in a village. It takes around 2 hours to get to the city by public transport, 1 hour by car but I didn't have a car back then). And because my country and city are smaller, there weren't many remote options, especially for people who were just starting. So I settled for remote tutoring. I work 20 hours a week and I have a low average monthly income. I often feel tired from even 5 hours a day (one-on-one conversations are exhausting for me) and I'm scared/too lazy to take on more hours. It also means that for the past 4 years that I've been working, I didn't have any PTOs, benefits or any career movements. I'm not sure I can even call it a work experience.
I don't have any irl friends. I lost contact with my school and college friends as soon as I graduated, and as I work remotely and leave my house very rarely, I don't meet new people. If I do go out, it's usually with my mom and little sister. Partly because I really like them and theur company; mostly because I don't have other people to hang out with and I don't want to do it alone. The only friends I have are the ones I met online playing computer games.
I have never had even as much as a kiss. And I'm not unattractive, a few guys back in high school and college were interested. But I always got scared and became distant as soon as I could feel some interest from them. I am in an online relationship now, and at first I entertained the idea of actually meeting with him and maybe even living together, but now after almost a year I realize it's not something he wants to do. He's in a similar position (never dated before, doesn't have many friends offline etc) and when I said this relationship might not be for me, he got so sad. At this point I'm only with him because I don't want to make him sad.
I don't even have much money despite living with my parents and not paying rent. I spend it regularly on games and online shopping and now I have maybe enough to live for about 4 months, if I were to stop working.
And I really just waste a lot of time, by mindlessly scrolling social media. I used to read and watch a lot, and learn new things. I don't do that now.
And looking at everything, I realize that I'm the one who let things get this bad. I have financial support of my parents but I never did anything but be lazy and scared. I have a car now. I'm trying to learn programming but I keep seeing that the situation on the market is pretty bad, and my motivation often disappears for weeks. I'm afraid to act and I'm afraid to change. So how do I get my life together?

“Well…..frak.”
Those were the only words Corporal James Diogenes could think of to describe his current situation. Behind him, he watched as his comrades turning tail and running away.
“Cowards. Cowards one and all.”
He spit into the dirt towards his former allies then turned towards the other part of his problem.
Xenos. A large army of Xenos, one that was far more disciplined and had far more bodies than command had assumed. He couldn’t remember what they were called or even remember the name of the planet he was on. He couldn’t care for either topic. He wasn’t surprised that the Intel he and his colleagues had been fed was wrong, it often was, but never to this degree. The enemy outnumbered the imperial army forces at least 7 to 1 if not far more. Their tactics were similar to those employed by the imperial army but their population meant they could do more tactical maneuvers, on more fronts, at the same time.
Why the imperial navy didn’t annihilate those armies from orbit, James would never understand. Given his current situation he most likely wouldn’t get a chance to ask. He checked the magazine on his auto-gun, the rifle being rather old by the standards of the current imperial army but its age held up as it punched through most body armor he came across.
“…..Frak.”
He cursed again as he inspected the magazine. Three, maybe four rounds left before he was out? He looked over his shoulder and sighed. The cowards took the ammo with them along with any other supplies they could carry, leaving an empty trench and a few rows of rusty flay-wire.
And James but he chose to stay behind.
A low chuckle escaped him as that thought came to mind. He shook his head as he took his spot in the trench. He wouldn’t win this fight, he was sure of it, but by Terra and in the Emperor’s name he would make them bleed. He would make them hurt.
The few rounds he had in his magazine were gone in no times at all. Four enemies laying in the dust and being trampled by their friends was proof of that. He smiled grimly as he watched his enemies march towards him. They had all bowed their heads slightly, seemingly expecting more shots. That got him laughing. A few bullets and a whole army was shaking before him. He wondered if this is what the primarchs, the emperors daughters, felt like whenever they were on crusade.
He tossed his empty rifle to the side. His smile grew as he held his knife, gripping it tightly as he watched the advancing line of xeno scum. The leather of his glove strained as his hidden knuckles grew white from how tightly he gripped his knife. He considered for a moment what he’d do when the enemy came into the trench. He knew he would fight and die, but he wondered how many of them he’d kill before they took him down.
He reached back behind him, grabbing the Krak grenade he had attached to his belt. He held it tightly and used the middle finger of his knife hand to pull the pin. He held close, holding the striker lever down to ensure it wouldn’t go off until he let go of it. Then he waited.
The world closed in. Darkness tinted the edge of his vision as he watched his enemy march ever closer. Nothing existed save for him and the enemy. He knew what this was. Adrenaline, anticipation, and fear all coming together to activate his fight-or-flight response. He whole body felt charged and he had to stop himself from jumping out of the trench and running…..where? He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t guarantee his body wouldn’t turn tail and follow the rest of the imperial army back to the transports.
He adjusted his cap, scratched his bearded cheek and continued to watch. Watch and wait. That was all he could do now. His breathing grew heavy and erratic, his teeth barred, and a low growl escaped him.
The marching stopped.
He stared and waited.
A ploy? A chance to surrender maybe? Were they simply calling in artillery on his position?
That last thought stopped him. Artillery. Would they call artillery or an orbital strike or some other long distance attack on his position?
No. No, no, no, no they wouldn’t escape him that easy.
He scowled and climbed out of the trench, charging the Xenos line with a roar. The knife was raised over his head, holding it in an upside down fashion, as he sprinted towards his enemy. He refused to die to some cowardly artillery strike, he absolutely refused to be turned into a red smear on some backwater planet that no one would ever remember or care about.
The enemy….ran. They ran! He laughed as he chased after them. It didn’t make sense and he didn’t care. He couldn’t care, he was beyond caring.
“Get back here you throne damned bastards! GET THE FRAK BACK HERE!”
He slowed down long enough to toss the Krak grenade, laughing loudly when he saw it go off and take a handful of Xenos down.
The blood….was blood always so beautiful?
He continued running after the enemy before he stopped again. He stopped running cause something had stopped him. He didn’t understand, his legs were still under him, he was still alive, he could still fight!
“Kraking, bastard, filthy xenos, kill you all-“
“Shut up.”
He stopped talking, the voice snapping him out of…..whatever that was. He regained control and realized why he stopped running. Something had picked him up. He stared down at the ground only to realize how high he was above it.
“Hnngh, let go of me.”
He turned towards whatever was holding him only for his eyes to grow wide.
There stood….a woman. A very big woman with metallic dreadlocks poking out of her skull, her armor exposing skin and flesh in the fashion of a gladiator of old. He stared at him with a raised eyebrow and a silent growl as a twitch of pain or anger made her right eye close for a half second.
“Excuse me….heh….corporal.”
She said his rank as if it was an insult, even going as far as spitting on the ground after she said it. She held up by the back of his flak vest like he was little more than a lost puppy. She treated him like he wasn’t worth even talking to and that he was some stupid grunt who was simply in the way.
Space marines raced past both of them, ignoring them in favor of chasing after the retreating Xenos. They….were gonna steal his glory.
“Let me go damn you, the fights over there!”
The woman laughed loudly. Her head held back as her laughter echoed over the battlefield. A part of him thought her laughter was the most horrific and beautiful sound he ever heard, but it was overshadowed by his growing rage.
“You wouldn’t do-hnngghh-do anything to those alien freaks by yourself. Go home boy. Run with the rest of your fri-“
He swiped at her and smiled widely when he saw a small, paper thin cut open up on her cheek. A small trickle of blood dribbled down her skin as her smile disappeared. Her free hand came up and wiped at the cut. She studied the small swipe of blood on her finger. The cut was nothing, it wouldn’t even scar and she had lost far more blood then this in the blood pits. But something about this man taking a swipe at her, daring to cut her, daring to even consider killing or harming her…..
She smiled widely and put the man on her shoulder.
“You. I like you. You’re mine now little man.”
He tried to jump off but she held firm and turned away from the battle. Her sons would handle the fight. He roared on her shoulder and struggled against her grip, his rage growing as he did everything he could to get into the fight and kill. He wanted to, no needed to spill blood. He needed to kill, he needed to make them bleed.
But this goddess in bronze wouldn’t let him. She walked away and set him down in a space marine Rhino. He didn’t know her, he didn’t know why she took him, and he didn’t care. Instead he sighed and hung his head as he lit a iho stick.
“Don’t worry Corporal, there will be more glory to be had.”
He stared at her. His eyes were bloodshot, his body covered in dust and he felt exhausted.
“Hnngh…frakking….throne damn you….”
She smiled widely at that and pulled the trigger on her chainaxe. She then turned towards the driver.
“On second thought, hmm let’s go. I wanna see what you got little corporal.”
He smiled at that and stood up, popping his neck. He exhaustion was forgotten for the time being as the thought of killing those damned Xenos got his blood pumping and made him want to move.
“By the way.”
The giantess spoke as the rear hatch opened, revealing the same battlefield he had just left.
“My name is Atalanta.”
Please note: I’m not a writer and this whole story came to me while I was in a shower and from my lack of artistic skill. Sorry if it’s trash.

I try to follow an anti inflammatory diet but I'm often tired and can't stand for a long time so I need quick but healthy meals. In the past weeks I used kind of a "building set".
Breakfast (Problem: No appetite in the morning but when I don't eat my brainfog and headache gets worst.)
Shake
1 Brazil nut
1 tsp Ingwer
1 tsp Tumeric
1 hand full of salad
1 hand full of cucumber
1 tablespoon of nuts (almonds or pecan or walnuts)
1 teaspoon flaxseed oil
125 g of berries (blueberries or strawberries or raspberries)
200 g of water (you can use milk or a plant-based substitute too)
30 g Oats
For protein I use 1 serving of pea protein powder (Whey should be avoided, because it could cause inflammation).
Why is that a "construction kit"? You can vary the berries, the nuts and the kind of salad so you can "build" different shakes. You could even swap out the berries for any low in sugar fruits like apples or oranges.
Lunch (Problem: I can't stand up long enough to prepare a complicated meal).
Salad
1 hand full of red bell pepper
1 hand full of carrots
1 hand full of cucumber
1 hand full of kidney beans
1 hand full of salad
4 tablespoons rice (whole grain)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 mintleaf
1 teaspoon sumac
1 tablespoon good olive oil (extra vergine or any omega-3 rich plant oil)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For extra protein I add different things: chicken, feta or mozzarella.
I try to eat only 3 meals per day and have a 4-5 hour break between them.
Why is that a "construction kit"? Needs no explanation. You can swap out the veggies, the rice (for whole grain pasta or potatoes boiled in their skin) and all the spices.
Dinner (No problem here as my spouse usually likes to cook.)
We usually keep it to the simple formula:
protein (chicken, turkey or fish)
lots of veggies (steamed or cooked in the oven)
small serving of carbs (whole grain rice or pasta, potatoes)
It's not rocket science or something new and fancy, but it reduces the stress and the decisions around cooking and eating a lot which is a great. And in addition it keeps my symptoms at bay. The best thing about it: My headache is down from an really annoying 5-6 to a manageable 3. Maybe it's not the diet but it can't hurt to give our bodies "good fuel" because it's in distress right now.
What do I avoid? White bread and usually wheat, simple carbohydrates, anything fried, candy, sweets, chips, sugar, salted nuts, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, lard, juices, soft drinks, alkohol, pork (beef only from time to time), convenience products.
Do I count calories? No it's not the time to focus on losing weight.
Do I follow these guidelines every day? No it's not the time for perfectionism. If I manage to eat at least 2 of my meals following these guidelines I'm quite happy and my symptoms won't flare up.
Sources: https://www.ndr.de/ratgebegesundheit/Ernaehrung-bei-Erschoepfung-Was-essen-nach-Corona-Grippe-und-Co,immunsystem122.html
(It's in german; I try to find some sources in english and will add them)

I'm looking for a device that would support a high volume of handwritten notes, mostly in English but occasionally in Russian, and converting these to text. It would need to have a paper-like screen texture and a larger screen is important. I would also want an e-reader with the ability to highlight and annotate pdfs, but that appears standard with all the better options.
At present, the best option seems to be the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C. The Pro has nothing I need to justify the extra price and seems to have some issues with the screen being rather fragile, I don't know if this extends to other Boox products, I've only seen it mentioned for the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C Pro. The extra storage and battery life would make the Tab Ultra C preferable to the Air. I like that Boox pens have relatively inexpensive replacement tips.
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But ...
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I have heard some worrying things about security for Boox devices. I don't intend to store or send personal details over it, but it would be connected to the internet from time to time and there would be the possibility of having to purchase something from the Appstore..
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The Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C seems to be almost impossible to get, is unavailable at the Boox shop, has no sellers at present in Australia, and no eta on when it is likely to become available.
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Is there a reasonable alternative, preferably available in Australia? Does the Boox Tablet Note Air 3 C stand up function-wise and tolerance to use? The smaller storage isn't a particular problem with microSD cards. I'm also confused about which version of Android it uses, 11 or 12? If 12, it would likely be preferable to the Tab Ultra C.
I've seen some good things about Supernote A5x, but the next version seems unlikely to be out for some months and Supernote doesn't seem to be available retail in Australia, which isn't a deal-breaker but is inconvenient. Their ceramic-tipped pens do look nice.
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It would be very useful for me if anyone could give me their impressions of how e-ink devices in general stand up to a fairly high volume of handwritten use - in the range of 1-3k words a day at times. A device able to facilitate this would be of enormous benefit to me, but if they have yet to move beyond a novelty, I can't justify the purchase.
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Thank you to anyone who has the time and patience, a response to even one of my questions would be helpful.
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Students! If you have physics ATP tomorrow and you are stressed about it here is something that might help you guys. Here is a complete playlist that covers all the relevant topics for ATP and also includes past paper practice.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxehzEhSIu--mvo_5hVuLJ2hINAMvI51d&feature=shared
Good Luck. May the odds be with you 👑

I’ve learned how to say “no thank you” in at least nine languages, and longer phrases in more (like “thank you, please let’s speak English now. I don’t really know the language but my mother in law is mean.”)
I’ve been with my partner for almost four years. He argues that she doesn’t like me because she only hears about me when things are on the rocks for us, which is fair, but none of those times have been that awful. Less than a year in, we broke up for about four weeks and he moved back in. No abuse or anything like that, we were just figuring ourselves and each other out.
I’d never met her before this past Thanksgiving. We’d been together for three years at that point and he told them we planned to get married. We were there for one day, just for Thanksgiving dinner, and she spent so much of her energy trying to keep me at arms length from everyone.
She knows I have food allergies and there was only food I couldn’t eat. She complained that I was being picky. We’d been up for a long time and I laid down in the guest room (with my bf’s permission and leading) only for her to complain that I was being a drama queen and withholding myself from the rest of the family. I was on it for the three little ones there, all under eight years old, for five hours before that happened or I was offered food. (And the food I was offered would have made me very sick.) When I didn’t eat much, I was accused of being picky and rude, and when I did get sick, she made a big deal of asking other people there to drive me and my bf back to where we were staying. She wouldn’t pay any of the traditional family board games until I left. It was humiliating and she did nothing to hide her disdain for me. She even excluded me from the gift giving part of the evening.
I’d been dating her son for three years, and she never asked me anything about me or what I did or what my interests are. She implied that I was using him for money (there is none) and that I’ve never accomplished anything (I have.)
Everything blew up this week when she asked my bf to forget moving into a new place with me (we’ve already been living together for two years) and to move in with his pregnant sister, forty miles away from where we are now to “take care of her” because “he’s the uncle” and she’s”worried.” (She has a guest room in her house and lives four minutes away from the sister. There are other options.)
It just crushed me. I truly want to go no contact, but I know my bf won’t/can’t with his family. I know he deeply dislikes his mom, but I don’t know if he’ll ever stand up to her on my account.
I hate arguments or confrontations, and have truly done my best to be a good guest, but it’s at a point that I can’t ignore it.
I already speak two languages other than my native language, and I’ve been learning sister languages, along with some foreign dialects that I can legitimately practice. (I have a few Russian friends, for example.)
I’m starting to feel too old for this kind of shit. I feel like using different languages would allow me to say what I need to say without there being a Jerry Springer type blow out, and without having to put my bf in an uncomfortable situation with his family (siblings included.)
I could say a lot of stuff in English, but it would be burning an entire bridge. I’m at the point where I feel like it’s this, or no contact with them, or my bf and I have to break up. We’re a really good match, we love each other, we’re working towards the same goals together. He incredibly aware that his familial situation is toxic, even more so since my nut job family has accepted him with open arms.
There’s times I feel like I should just shut up and take it, and times I feel like I should burn it to the ground (metaphorically) and times I feel like I should respect that he still wants a relationship with his family no matter how much they frustrate and hurt him.
AITAH for opting for the half measure?

Typically, most of the activities of a PhD student are useful for your carreer in some sense, being them doing TA activities or carrying out research which eventually results in papers to publish. In these cases, for example, you both get something appealing to write on your CV and you learn new stuff and how to communicate it to a specific audience.
But what about doing reviews? Since they are anonimous, they cannot be claimed as additional work done, right? Do you feel that doing them has helped you on your journey, perhaps giving you new skills?
I am asking this because some professors asked if I could help doing some reviews for a conference they are organizing, and I would like to, but I understand that doing this appropriately requires considerable amounts of time, attention, and energy.
I'm a PhD student in Western Europe, if that matters. My field is is Stats/math/CS. English is not my first language, so corrections and advices on my writing are more than welcome.