https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2024/05/14/no-easy-answers-lds-parents-wonder
Might be behind a paywall, I have JavaScript turned off on the page so I can read it anyway 😅 I'll put up some quotes and give a tl dr: basically tons of research shows that waking up early as a teen is extremely bad for your mental health, but the church doesn't care.

A mounting body of evidence indicates that teens not only need more sleep than adults but also that hormonal shifts make it harder for them to go to bed before 10 or 11p.m. At the same time, researchers have gained a clearer picture of the risks associated with teenage sleep deprivation, among them serious mental health issues and substance abuse.
Tired teens, recent studies have discovered, are more prone to major depression and risky behavior, including drug experimentation. One study, published in 2023, found that sleep-deprived adolescents were about twice as prone to suicide ideation and consideration, even when adjusting for sexual identity, trauma, bullying and other related factors. Another, published the year before, suggested a possible link between poor adolescent sleep and an increased risk of schizophrenia.

The church won't make any changes, and the parents and kids are brainwashed into thinking it's worth the "sacrifice". They have other options, like online or late night classes, but since they're not the norm kids and parents still feel the pressure to keep the status quo and do regular seminary. It's a classic "cultural" problem where the church refuses to acknowledge the influence it has on the problems it causes.
My two cents: I definitely don't have any lasting sleep disorders exacerbated by seminary /s 🙄 Jazz band at my high school was before school, my freshman year I just went to seminary instead, but then we tried having seminary just for a handful of band kids after school. For whatever reason by my junior year we switched to extra early seminary at 5:45am (I know a ton of people that had it that early as well in other districts and states). I slept through every class that wasn't active (like band or drafting) every single day of that year and the next. I even had to drop out of honors pre-calculus because I just couldn't stay awake.
The kids in most classes referred to me as "that sleeping kid". Though to be fair it was pretty funny when I got the second highest score on the practice AP physics test and the guy who sits next to me was like "what?? He's asleep ALL THE TIME" (I didn't do as well on the actual test though 😅).
And now in my thirties it's almost impossible to even get out of bed without Adderall or a large amount of caffeine, and it's impossible to get to sleep without Ambien or a large amount of weed (and yes, that includes days where I didn't take stimulants, and vice versa). This research on how much sleep teens actually need is almost a decade old, and some high schools have even pushed back their start times because of it (and consequently saw a noticeable bump in their test scores). And the church still won't address this issue that's actually harming kids. They either don't care about the kids outside of Utah or really appreciate how much easier brainwashing is when you're sleep deprived.

As If It Were Kismet: Prologue
Matt tore through the brush, blind in the dark. He didn’t care where he was going. He only knew he needed to be elsewhere. Far from here.
Behind him a creature howled that shocked his mind. It’s form was cruel and dangerous, though female. Nothing like the young woman she had once been. Nothing but a girl, a small and slight female.
It’s guttural growls and howls only grew closer as Matt tried to pick between seeing where he was going and getting away. The few times he looked he caught sight of the creature behind him. Hopping through the air with a speed that told him he was being toyed with. As if he were a mouse being played with by a cat.
But the reflex in him to run kept him going. His adrenaline going as hard as it could. The tightness and burning in his core tensing and locking up as his legs felt like there were being burned from within while taking on more of a heaviness.
His lungs were starting to betray him as he tried to gulp big breaths of air but only rapid and shallow breaths were all that he could manage. His brain was starting to burn….and then he was falling.
Falling down the side of a hill he saw the creature dart in a spring towards him, imperceivably fast almost. Catching him in mid air it seemed.
Managing to wrap its body around him and cushion his impact against the ground as they rolled. His mind barely took in what was happening during the roll. Only starting to understand what was happening once they were still.
The creature's triple D-cup breasts were unmistakably pressed hard against his back as he laid facing up at the night sky.
For a few seconds the world stilled and the needle light pain hitting the center of his brain took over for the cooking heat his brain had felt. His whole body felt heavy and reluctant to move.
Even if he could have really moved, a dull ache came over his limbs making them feel stilled and trapped as if by immeasurable amounts of sand that had engulfed him.
Slowly the arms holding him started to move. Moving so the creature's hands could start exploring him. Causing Matt to unstoppably let out a pathetic moan that made him go cold inside as hands lifted up his shirt and started to touch his exposed stomach and then his chest.
He would have whimpered so pathetically had he not still been in the depths of terror.
As its hands felt and groped his pecs he tried to situp as if to get away. For his efforts, his reward was a hand around his throat and a collection snarls and growls against his ear. A beastly, guttural voice spat words at him while somehow holding a feminine tone.
“Don’t move….I don’t know if I can calm down…”
Her words were not helped by her moans in his ear and the subsequent kissing of his ear. The flesh of his ear going between her lips as she moaned and seemed to pant. Releasing it and licking the side of his face with a moist warmth. He could feel its spittle, viscous and coating his flesh where the tongue touched. He could smell something in his saliva. Something that subtly entranced him.
Matt went stock still with fear and the confusion of mixed arousal. He barely perceived her right hand traveling lower on his body. A surprised moan and shudder echoed in the night from Matt’s lips as she took ahold of him. Her hand above his pants but still….stimulating him.
A light squeezing and almost probing of her digits kept him aroused and confused within her grasp. Resigning himself to the strange fate, Matt looked up at the stars as his mind tried not to shatter under the strange maelstrom of events and sensation that had started mere minutes ago.
His mind was only more confused as a slight figure, feminine in build, how it seemed to thunk the ground audibly as she landed on her feet out nowhere. Her knees barely bending under the pressure of the landing. Yet dirt was kicked up anyways and some of it onto Matt. Feeling it pepper his shirt and pants as it fell.
The figure, lit only faintly by moonlight, roared some dark tone Matt could only perceive as a demon as her eyes went bright with a crimson light. A light in the darkness that should not have been. “Let him go you bitch.” Was its words following the roar. Spittle escaping its mouth with faint droplets hit Matt's face.
The creature holding him by his throat and crotch seemed to tighten the grasp of both hands as it roared back. “HE IS MINE!”
The figure paused with a moment's hesitation. He was also her quarry. She had felt his fear without him knowing. His confused arousal. His fear. His terror.
And now he laid at the center of a struggle between two monsters. Unsure of who he wanted to win.
As If It Was Kismet Ch. 1
Matthew Berkshire hadn’t seen his mom in two years. Not that he had seen her much over the last six years.
A messy divorce between messy people and mom’s chaotic want for a life in Alaska had been one of the most…upsetting times in life. Setting him up for so much of what had defined his life thus far but then that had really started two years before he ever turned.
His ear buds were basic and simple. A part of cheap five pack, common for his life as he was known to lose little things. Small things. They had a mix of metal and hard rock playing in them. Some classics, some alternative. Whatever made him feel something, anything. Even if it was hate. Anger. Rage. It was better than feeling numb. Not belonging.
The escalator down to his lone bag to go with his lone carry on showed his mom waiting for him. His had a type, that’s for damn sure. Not that it helped him in the genetics department as he was stuck at 5’9” to go along with his mother’s five foot even as his dad stood six foot. Forever leaving him to feel small, to pale, under his dad’s shadow. Did he ever stand a chance?
The guy next to her with the unkempt former seventies porn stache was “Dave.” He’d met him twice when his mother came and visited him in Florida. To his credit the guy didn’t look annoyed. Kind of concerned kind of which made Matthew want to break his frozen look but he was well practiced. Having removed any note of sadness from his face through much…tribulation.
His mother’s look on her face betrayed a hint of worry as the bruises on his face lightly showed up close. Saying his name was his like a distant echo that belonged to someone else.
Dave cut in and pulled out his right headphone. “What the hell bud, they knock you hard enough to hurt hearing? Your mom’s asking how you are doing.”
Matthew pulled out the other bud and grunted an empty “sorry.”
“You still have bruises after two week? What did they do to you?” His mom’s voice was full of worry. Something he hadn’t heard in….too long. Too long to make him feel anything. To ever make him believe there was any sincerity to her words. To not think her voice and mannerisms were an act. An act by someone who…wasn’t really there.
“It’s only fair. I took a nose. Fractured a couple orbital bones. Left one with having to get his jaw wired shut. And one will never walk right again for what I did to his knee cap.” Matthew said it all with a bored and disinterested tone. Perhaps well rehearsed.
“My man, handing out ass kickings, not bothering to take names.” Dave was quick to be the typical man’s man about it. Matthew wasn’t quite done yet. Lifting up his shirt to expose the right side near his kidney. Revealing a nasty scar from a six inch blade. “Luckily they gave me this first so they could rule it all in self-defense. The fuck didn’t get it in more than inch before I ruined his knee cap and then I took the nose of one of the fucks holding me.” Now he chose to smile keeping the well practiced dead look in his eyes.
No retorts. No questions. Just horrified looks on their faces. As he liked. As he preferred. They could hate him. They could be disgusted by him. But by God they would fear him.
“Well the doc did a good job sewing you up.” Dave commented uncomfortably. “Dissolving sutures. Ain’t they grand.” He smiled again and let it abruptly fall off his face and started walking to the carousel for the baggage claim.
Waiting and making small talk with Dave as his mother stood in silence. He was not the little boy she abandoned. The little boy she left with an angry man. While never hitting him. Left him in constant fear till he turned twelve and just didn’t care anymore. Something snapped. Broke. And he didn’t care if he died. Didn’t care if he stole. Didn’t even care if he killed. He just knew not to get caught. Something left over from his grandfather’s wisdom which came to make more and more sense with each passing year of life since that thing inside him broke.
Finally his bag came around and Dave went to try first to grab it but Dave practically leapt ahead of him. “Is that your grandfather’s rucksack bag?” his mother asked in a perplexed voice.
“Figured it’s been around since Viet Nam. So it’d serve me better than any of the worthless stuff they called luggage.” Dave commented after Matthew’s words. “Well hell yeah I still got mine from Desert Storm. You know the first one.” Dave laughed and Matthew eyed him oddly. Be it in the south or whether it was Alaska, country boys are country boys he guessed.
The car ride to the two people’s house, as Matthew thought of them. Was uneventful and full of vistas he imagined metropolitan types wetting themselves over. At most they meant isolation to him. Furtherness from the world as there were no mountains in Florida. And what mountains he had last seen in another state had been when he was eight. Another life, to Matthew it felt like. A life alien to him.
As If It Was Kismet Ch 2
Dave and his mom’s place was some two story type tucked into a tree line far up an elevated point. It was by no means the highest point in the mountain but it certainly felt up there.
Rocks were where the driveway should have been Matthew thought. Grabbing his backpack and rucksack from Dave’s jeep was no hard thing for him. Matthew was in formidable shape for someone his age, maybe even five years older. He had gotten a mix of fairly big shoulders and arms along with the chest to go for it when compared to most kids his age. A side effect of working out at least twice a day. First thing in the morning, some time in the evening, and the school’s gym when had had a good semester in school before he had to leave Florida.
Dave tried to come up and help him but Matthew walked past him towards the house. His mom was not sure what to make of his demeanor. Matthew was not the sweet kind boy he had once been. But she had been gone from his life essentially for a long time.
Ushering him into the house she cracked some joke he did not hear. He was too busy looking about and seeing a mix of old outdated decorating mixed with the strange and odd flair of his mother. Color contrasting against drab and dated. Like brightly painting over an old home that was falling apart he thought.
“Your room is this way Mattie.” His mom brightly intoned.
Without expressing any interest he followed his mother. Still faced and nonplussed. Just going along with the current. Pushed and pulled with its roll like a piece of driftwood.
The room was simple. A single small bed. A set of rubber weights with a curl bar and barbells. “Your dad said you were into weight lifting so we got you a bunch of stuff. Dave says it looks like his department’s gym almost. The woman’s smile felt very alien to him.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’ve got most of my stuff from home.” Matthew starting unpacking his rucksack and pulled out cables of repetitive and mixed colors. A single plastic barbell handle. The ruck sack could be filled with water bottles for added weight during pushups he figured. Remembering a Michael Keaton movie he watched with his dad post-Batman movies where he played a convicted killer using plastic bags filled with water for weights.
Matthew caught movement outside his lone fairly large window that could let him step out onto the roof of the house given its layout.
He saw a number of people running together through what he guessed was the backyard of the property, not that it had any fences to mark boundaries
They wore clothes that looked similar yet different from each other at the same time.”Oh those are the Johnston’s. Really nice bunch of people. Been on the mountain for a long time Dave tells me.”
Matthew looked at the group of people running and noticed the lack of resemblance. “They are related?” Matthew quizzically asked. Seeing a black and possibly a hispanic person amongst the bland looking white people.
“Oh well they are all adopted but for one or two of them…besides the parents of course. The family has a long tradition of taking in orphans they say. Real nice of them to do that don’t you think.”
Matthew looked at his mother and the hosier accent made no sense to him as he arched his left eye brow. Her and his dad were both from Florida. Born and raised. Sure her parents were from New York city but…
Matthew shook his lightly without turning to look at his mother as his vision was grabbed by one of the runners in particular. A girl of moderate height. Soft brunette. A plain beauty he figured with a slim build….and lack of remarkable breasts and rear to make any note of but….girls in general were his type at his age.
She was pretty enough. He couldn’t deny that but he found himself transfixed by her visage.
But the way she turned and looked at him, especially at that distance felt very disconcerting to him. Even if she was smiling like…she was a taste of a bright shiny day. Somehow.
Matthew’s mom noticed the exchange and smiled to herself with closed lips. “Oh that’s Vicky. She’s your age I think. Very sweet girl, who does the charity functions. You know bake sales, blood drives, car washes and the like. I think you should get to know her. Might be good for you.”
A truck horn sounded a couple of beeps in rather succession. “Oh that must be Mack, he said he might come by later this evening but he seems early.”
Matthew’s mother turned and left his room. Leaving Matthew to exchange a few looks with the alluring Vicky as she turned her head away from him to talk to the others in her group and look back at him.
Still Matthew’s left eyebrow was arched. In a way that reminded him of Spock from Star Trek that he and his grandpa used to watch on some streaming service or another.
As he heard ambient chatter elsewhere outside the house he figured to check it out as the alluring sight of Vicky would be around he figured. It was dull to stare at artwork. He was a boy who preferred jet skis and the like. Something he could ride and enjoy immensely. Even if at times it got him stabbed.
As If It Was Kismet Ch 3
Matthew sauntered out of the house and down the rockway that stood in for a driveway.
A few new people had come over from what he could first surmise of the situation. As he got closer it was obvious they were indigenous people. A couple of grown men…and a girl?
She was mousey. Maybe five foot. Hiding behind glasses and a big camo jacket that was far too big for her. It looked made for a grown man and the backwards trucker hat on her head kept her long black a beautiful mess of sorts.
She was cute in a way. A little androgynous but she had a cute energy to her. She reminded him of the more tomboyish Puerto Rican girls he had gotten into back in Florida. Given the deer corpses in the back of the truck….probably more dangerous to play with given the men in her family.
Small chatter passed between the adults when the girl noticed but turned away, trying to hide the tiny hint of a smile.
“Oh Mattie, this is Mack. He works with Dave at the sheriff’s department and John, he’s with fish and wildlife.” Matthew nodded at his mom’s words with some blankness as he looked at the deer the in the back of the pickup truck.
“Gale tells us you hunted with your dad some in Florida and Georgia.” Mack offered with a light hearted laugh camouflaged by his big simple and cheery but husky way he spoke.
Looking in the back of the truck he spoke. “We used lever action thirty-thirties and Mosin Nagants in seven-six-two-fifty-four-rimmed.” Mack and John whistled in an exaggerated fashion. Leaving Matthew to wonder if they were mocking him.
Mack spoke. “Well we just used thirty-odd-six in a custom gussied Garand.” That caught Matthew’s attention. “You have a Garand…” Matthew finally demonstrated interest in anything. “My dad has an SVT-40 and a Hakim 8mm but he always wanted a Garand but was too cheap to buy one.”
Gale, his mother, chimed in loudly. “Oh his Dad loved his guns but was such an odd duck about how he bought or why he bought them. Never made sense to me how he wasn’t a collector but he didn’t get the latest and greatest.” Gale laughed uncomfortably. At least it seemed that way to Matthew.
Matthew pointed to the girl with an underhanded pointing hand. “And who is this? A cute little mute mouse or does she have a name?” Dave and the other men laughed.
Mack again spoke. “Well you people call her Rebecca, she’s my adopted daughter.” Matthew was taken aback by what he heard. “You people?”
Rebecca kindly spoke with a soft but almost melodic voice as she struggled to maintain eye contact. “White people or rather not members of our tribe. It’s just easier to appease the colonizer kind of thing. Borrowed from when the Jesuit missionaries chased us up here.”
Mack stepped in. “It’s just easier to have white people names than have them try to say our tribal names. And we don’t want them shortening or Anglicising our names kind of thing.” Rebecca stepped back into the conversation cutting off her adopted father. “It’s an insult to our history basically.”
Matthew cocked his head sideways raising his eyebrows shortly before letting them drop. “Well as soon as I’m eighteen I’m out of here and back to Florida so I’m a sort of involuntary colonizer of sorts. So I won’t be taking any of your land from you. The Seminoles on the other hand are still shit out of luck.”
Rebecca’s smile caused Matthew to reflexively smile. Mack made the moment more awkward. “See Becca, I told you someone off the reservation would like you some. You just have to be creative.” Mack laughed in a chiding manner…Matthew presumed. He sensed that he was the butt of some kind of cultural joke. Like marrying a white guy was some sort of insult or mark of shame. That kind of thing.
Rebecca turning away from him was not something he had been expecting. Her then getting in the truck in a huff left the group in a silence for a moment.
Dave spoke to break the awkward silence. “Well just bring the truck to work on Monday and leave it for me to grab up.” Mack acknowledged Dave and they started to get off as Rebecca looked at Matthew for another instance. Matthew couldn’t look away for some reason as the two seemed to lock eyes for an instance.
Till Vicky and family seemed to come jogging down the road. While Matthew’s eyes diverted from Rebecca’s. Hers did not till she realized he was looking elsewhere. And her vision found Vicky and what had been a hint of smile on her face turned glum and disappointed.
Matthew did not look away from the vision of Vicky but instead of a starry eyed fool looking longingly. It was a baffled look. Well baffled for him, with his eyes drawn narrow and night with a focus.
There was something about her…he couldn’t quite put a name too. The way she appeared to him. One second brunette. The next second blonde or blonde like. As if the color appeared in her air and disappeared in fractions of seconds. Much the same way her body almost seemed to…shift…very subtly…smoothly. A nicer bum. Larger breasts. And then back to a simple and plain form. Feminine no doubt. Attractive. But not so…remarkable.
As If It Was Kismet Ch 4
The next two days passed without incident. Nothing of any real substance or challenge to note.
Matthew got settled somewhat and started working out almost immediately. Exploring around the woods but Dave told him not to go far. Especially without a hunting rifle. Dave had left a simple semi-auto Winchester out for him. His bear gun as Dave referred to it with its four round magazine. But Matt figured till he got some practice with the rifle to leave it alone. He made a hiking stick like his grandpa taught him and treated it over a low fire. He would take some electrical tape for the end his hand would grip around. Plenty enough to ward off anything smaller than a bear he figured.
The ride to school was a pain in the neck but simple enough. Dave would let him use a clunker pickup truck he had laying around. It wasn’t pretty but it would get him to and from. Even if it was from the eighties and still backfired on occasion. But for now Dave and his mom took him on their way to the sheriff’s department.
It wasn’t much of a school. It wanted to be modern but its fifties original construction was very obvious. It serviced the pipeline families and familys’ of fisherman who worked the seasons in between their time at the pipeline.
Matt was to report to the principal for some reason Dave and his mom wouldn’t share. Which annoyed him but he figured it was to read him the law of land. Small towns with their big views of the outside world and like.
Dressed in jeans, a grey sweatshirt under a light jacket with steel toed boots set him more apart then he expected. His buzzed head didn’t help matters. Already he was feeling like a stranger in a strange land but he was quite strange after all. And he liked it that way. Normal people were so pathetically disappointing to him.
A secretary or assistant or some such led him to the principal’s office. Where it reeked of real wood that was old and fabric and upholstery that needed to be updated for the last twenty years, Matt figured.
“This is Matthew Berkshire, Principal Andrews.” The man was turned with his back to the door and he was quick to wave her off as he turned her around.
He was an older man. Fat and large. Tall with a body built like he had once been fit and a demeanour of annoyed and irate already as he fixed Matt with a scowl and look of disgust. Another worthless government whore. Matt thought to himself. His father and his grandfather had bestowed unto him a natural disrespect for government workers and the figures that wore unjustified authority as a shield but pretended the weight of the state was not at their back ready to crush all who resisted. Little figures of valor pretending to be mighty and alone but acting with the tyranny of the state and all the backing.
“Mr. Berkshire, please sit down.” His tone wasn’t unusually hostile, just gruff. As if he had better things to do.
Matt complied and took a seat in the chair while maintaining a friendly facade. Not everyone was an enemy. And not everyone needed to be an enemy. Even if anybody could be any enemy. There was no reason to make enemies you didn’t have to. Another of his grandfather’s bastardised wisdoms.
“Well I looked over you file and you have quite the history Mr. Berkshire.” Matt resisted qiuping back a joke. Instead he waited for Principal Andrews to continue as he remained nonplussed and looking as if he felt no need to respond. A simple head tilt with dead eyes looking back at the principle as if he was not even there would suffice.
Matt’s reaction or lack of a reaction rather made Principal Andrews only narrow his eyes with examination. He was not used to a kid not responding to him. Especially with his gruff and hard act going on.
“Well by all accounts you moved here after some problems at your last school. A fight broke out and you did some real harm to your fellow students it appears.” Of course, he would take the side of the perpetrators. School administrators always did. Especially when they weren’t white. Just a fact of the times. Cowardice and pathetic mediocrity was the way they leaned, like good government workers sucking the dick of Big Daddy government. Worthless whores.
Matt chose to reply. “Oh you mean the criminals that stabbed me. Got arrested at the hospital and then pled to felonies. Yeah Florida, with the American counties are good like that.” Principal Andrews went real still. No shame. No fear. No penitence. He didn’t like that.
“Well be it as it may Mr. Berkshire we don’t tolerate that kind of behaviour here…” Matt cut him off responding with a deadpan tone. “You mean self-defense meant to save one’s own life while the cowardly and pathetic school workers look on with zero interest but to keep their money rolling in and will allow known gang members with records of violent acts and crimes that should have them expelled many times over, where in certain Democrat counties such cowardice and idiocy empowered a couple school shooters?”
Principal Andrews looked at the Matt with a note of disgust. “Look here Mr. Berkshire, your beliefs matter not one bit here. This isn’t Florida. We don’t like our way of life being disrupted by outside agitators who have problems with authority.”
Matt did his best not to roll his eyes and let the older fat man drone own as he dead-stared him. Lifeless and without emotion.
The man came to a finish and Matt spoke up without having listened to him or paid him any attention. “Great now that’s taken care of. Can I please get to class and finish my sentence of two years at your wonderful school?”
Principal Andrews huffed and snorted before calling in Vicky. Vicky stood in the corner after entering with a quiet and seamless presence. Matt felt disturbed and tried not betray his feelings as the young Vicky was perceived and not perceived to be moving.
Principal Andrews made the introductions and Matt nodded back. She was to be his chaperone for the day. They had the same classes and she was to show him the ropes so to speak. The ins and outs of the school. The locations of their classes.
He recognized her. It was hard not to. The way her appearance seemed to shift fluidly almost. The petite and skinny brunette ever so lightly had a big bust and blonde hair with curves added when she seemed to shift before his eyes. Like watching a film but each frame had a different person.
Matt didn’t say anything about it. Even if he did he would only be acknowledging his crazed state, if he had one. If.
Unlike an obedient puppy dog he got up in a slow and awkward fashion and followed behind her as his oddly disproportionate frame allowed. Causing her a note of concern for some reason. As if she was seeing something she shouldn’t have been….Or he was just weird. And Matt could admit to himself he was just weird. Part of his charm, he would jest about it at times. Not that he had many people to jest to now.
As If It Were Kismet Ch. 5
Following Vicky into the hall off to their first class was simple. She exchanged small talk and he slightly smiled as if to obviously suggest he was just being polite.
Inside his head, Matt was trying to figure out if he was having a psychotic break. The way Vicky looked kept changing and he looked at the other people around him and they stayed the same.
He was searching his mind as they were walking. And thus he wasn’t paying attention to where he was looking and so fell to his face forward over his feet seemingly out of nowhere.
A series of laughs erupted as it sunk in that he was obviously tripped. Like in prison this was a challenge to his superiority. If he let this pass he would be mocked and sneered at by this same group of boys. He wouldn’t walk to them like he was going to do nothing like a little bitch.
In a rage he turned and punched the stomach of the first face he saw. Some typical blonde haired wannabe jock. He knew from experience not to aim for the ribs. Instead he needed to aim for where he thought the belly button was.
Yells and screams blindly echoed around him as his after the punch he followed up his elbow of the opposite arm slamming into the face of the jock. Harder than a fist, the elbow struck the jock’s jaw and seemingly dropped him against a locker. Just in time to catch an errant and soft punch to the nose that sure enough hurt but did little to slow him down as his dad had taught him to fight through the pain. Blood and scars happened. They were a natural consequence of life to a man.
Taking the punch and falling further into his red state Matt headbutted the punch thrower before another guy arm bared his throat from behind. Which he managed to get his grip on the arm over a letterman jacked and jerk the unprepared boy to the side with him still latched on.
A few feet away from the lockers Matt knew his only chance was to jump and push off the lockers and knock the boy to the ground and so he did. He heard a thunk of the boy’s skull bouncing off the ground and he turned to pull out of the grapple.
The beatings he had taken from his father, the grapples, being choked unconscious. Had prepared him for fighting little bitches who didn’t know what a fight was. It wasn’t gay porn with rabbit punch fists flying.
Blood was running down his face and the pain started to hit him as the threats had been eliminated. Only then did he remember to breathe. Taking breathes as Vicky came up to him with tissues and took a hold of his nose.
“Owww owww owww what the fuck my nose could be broken.” He said to Vicky as she pulled his head up and back.
“It’s ok Carl. It’s done.” Matt tried to look to see who Vicky was talking to. It was a boy taller than his 5’9” by more than a small margin. The boy eyed him bored and annoyed before speaking. “What happened here?” An unoriginal line but one Matt couldn’t be a smart aleck about. “Well you see there was an outbreak of tripping and we all tripped over my dick. It happens.” Matt was about to laugh when Vicky seemed to pull up while still gripping his nose causing Matt no small amount of pain which he audibly evidenced.
Vicky spoke in a tone he wasn’t expecting. As if she was accustomed to issuing orders. “Keep Iris away from the hall till we sanitize the site. We have blood from at least three people contaminating the site. And have Jake bring me a spare jacket and shirt for this moron.”
Carl seemed to acknowledge her orders and seemed to blink away. Maybe the punch hit harder than he expected. He had no time to wonder as Vick took her hand away from his and pushed him against the lockers. With ease he had not been expecting from her form and stature.
Before he could respond Vicky licked his blood covered chin and then his lips and spoke to him. “Focus on me you little blood bag.” Her tone had an annoyed yet feminine sneer.
“Look into my eyes. Look at me. You belong to me. You are just another food source in a collection of food sources.” Her eyes were a beautiful hazel Matt thought. Almost green. Pretty like jewels in some old treasure collections. The eyes he could get lost in before kissing her. Finally Vicky was just a slight and petite brunette and he thought she was beautiful.
She would make a hell of a girlfriend. Some cute thing he could see laying on the beach in Florida on their sides laughing and smiling before trading light kisses while hands wandered innocently. Before his mind could drift further he felt her lips on his. It took him a second to mentally grasp the kiss but his arms were around her back as her hands were at his sides. His eyes reflexively closed as he saw hers close.
It was ineffable to Matt. Beyond words, what was happening. The kiss, the moments beforehand. The way his brain tickled with electricity and gentle warmth. He had never had a kiss like this and he had traded more than a few kisses with at least a few girls.
The kiss was like a warm bath with his consciousness slipping beneath the surface. Their lips only parted to try new angles and approaches as Matt struggled to take in breath. It was a moment he could have stayed trapped in for….he didn’t know. But a curt throat clearing by another girl pulled them out of the moment.
The girl was taller than Vicky. Blonde. With slight curves. Vicky addressed her bewildered and gobsmacked, and perhaps a bit embarrassed. “Tina?”

Maybe it’s time we go viral too with GME and AMC’s help. I always wonder how bed bath and beyond or AMC became a meme stock and benefited every time GME went up. I believe we can become partners or associated with them. I see articles of Reddit or Beyond going up in because they are affiliated “spiked in sympathy.” Maybe Tim and Kim can send private messages to Roaring Kitty and other leaders from GME asking their support and explaining this unique opportunity. If there was a surge in SRNE like AMC, the short squeeze would happen for us. Maybe send the DD and a summary why shorts are trapped and the millions of naked short shares in these stocks. We could jump in and help them with the earning to make the MOASS happen. We have thousands of members and we could create our squeeze when we exit expert market but maybe having a massive following like GME and AMC have, could help us destroy and make some great damage to Shorts which is their mission too. Only one tweet mentioning us could do the job.
We could like and comment on any post you put over to wallstreetbets and GME to get the ball rolling but it has to come from their leaders too or anyone will get banned if it’s not GME related.
This is something we could do while we wait. Let me know what you think. We got the shorts trapped too. At .02 anyone can invest and become a millionaire. (Not financial advice).

Hello,
I have a Xiaomi 11 lite 5g for around 3/4 years now and I'm having really bad batteries issues right now. For example: My phone is right next to me, plug on the charger. 5mins ago it was at 22% and now it's at 2% WHILE CHARGING. I really don't understand how this is possible. An other issue I have with it too is, if the battery is under, let's say 50%, and my phone get a little bump or dropped on the floor, it will turn off and the battery level will change. Let's say the battery was at 5%, it will turn off to then turn on at 22%. Litteraly happened to me yesterday. It got turned off several times during the day and each time the battery pourcent was different going from 5% to 22% to 12% etc... Completely random and not making any sense whatsoever.
Do you think my phone is dying/dead and need to be changed or just changing the battery would fix the problem?
I really need an answer because I cannot keep having a phone that unstable. Thank you in advance for anyone that will reply to this post.

I'll take the following example to explain the problem I'm facing. Lets say I'm building Facebook with Django. I have different functionalities:-

• (Feed, Post, Liking Post) - SOCIAL NETWORKING APP
• (Signing Up, Account Settings, Selecting Privacy Settings) - ACCOUNTS APP
• MARKETPLACE APP
• BUSINESS APP

Since, it has been established by many that "Microservice Architecture is the way to go in future", I want each Functionality to have its own app. So I run a single Django Server running on UNIX with single Django Project having different apps. I definitely need the MARKETPLACE and the BUSINESS APPS to have a different domain from the SOCIAL NETWORKING APP, so I use a www.marketplace.facebook.com for that MARKETPLACE and www.facebookbusiness.com for the BUSINESS APP. The other two apps use the same domain- www.app.facebook.com domain.
Now, the FRONT END and the BACK END both need to be separated, essentially using an API so I can launch a Mobile App in the future if I want to.
Should each of my app have a separate DRF APP for the APIs related to the Functionality? Like DRF-MARKETPLACE APP, DRF-BUSINESS APP, ....etc. or should I use a single DRF-API APP (ESSENTIALLY A SINGLE BACKEND) and have separate Front End Apps?
Also, if my theme remains consistent, (the look of the webpage), how do I reuse the templates across different functionality apps> Should I make a thrid kind of app which is also an API but specifically for Front End Templates (DRF-FRONTEND-TEMPLATES APP)?
What is the most ideal way of doing things?
I think that Each Functionality Should have a different Front End App and A Back End App (DRF), and a Front End Templates App which is called by every other Functionality Front End Application. In the above scenario, I;m not able no figure out that how will USERS, ACCOUNTS, AUTHENTICATION in Multiple DRFs work out?

One of the lesser known and discussed components to David Kibbe’s approach to developing an authentic personal style is his color system.
What I think is quite unique about his approach is that it is rooted in color theory. I know that sounds kind of obvious… aren’t all personal color systems rooted in color theory? Not quite in the same way, no.
To go back to the absolute basics of color theory we start with the foundational concepts of Primary Colors; Red, Yellow and Blue. Where In color theory; Yellow is Warm, Blue is Cool and Red is Neutral.
Disclaimer: Yes! There’s such thing as a Warm Blue or a Cool Yellow. David gives every season their own version of Yellow and Blue. However, we’re referencing a *pure** version of these colors - not a blend.*
So when we say “cool toned” this means the colors have a blue base since blue is cool. The same can be said for the concept of “warm toned” which means the colors have a yellow base since yellow is warm.
Now, nobody’s skin tone is literally yellow (we’re not lemons) or literally blue (we are not lizards). We are a complex blend of pigments that create a unique mix of tones within our skin, hair and eyes. What we’re looking to determine with our personal coloring here is wether we have a blue (cool) or golden (warm) undertone. With our hair and eyes providing extra clues but our undertone being the most important factor to consider.
Before we launch into the **Metamorphosis excerpt on David’s approach to personal color, I would like to pause and remind us all, that, as with all things Kibbe, it bares reminding that it is essential we leave all prior ideas on colouring aside and approach this process with a sense of playful exploration and curiosity. Our personal coloring just as our Kibbe ID is part of what makes us uniquely beautiful. So it’s not about there being a “correct” or “incorrect” answer. It’s about celebrating what is innate to us.*

Discovering the magic of your coloring

So much has been written in recent years about your coloring and "having your colors done" that I simply can't take you through this journey without a brief detour in this often confusing area.
As a firm believer in the beauty of our natural coloring, I've always felt that it should be enhanced and prized as one of our greatest gifts from Nature. Since I could be described as one of the pioneers of the modern color movement, I've worked long and hard to educate the public about the possibilities and systems that exist to make working with your coloring easy, clear, exciting, and most of all, fun!
In the past few years, I've watched many variations spring up on the basic theme of personal color analysis. As in all extremely popular fields, some of the "new" variations are simply gimmicks de- signed to cash in on the latest fad, while others bear at least some validity.
For my money, however, the basic system of the seasonal color theory originally developed by Johannes Itten of the Bauhaus School is still far and away the most effective.
This theory divides your coloring into four basic categories named after the seasons, based on two parts of your genetic makeup: (1) the undertone of your skin, which is blue or golden and functions as the "base" of your coloring; and (2) the in- tensity of your coloring, which has to do with the type of "contrast" between your hair. skin, and eyes.
Simply put, your "season" is a general description of the type of coloring you inherited and the palette of colors that will enhance it. Each "season" represents a family of colors that consists of over two million shades within the palette. Here's a brief description of each:

Winter

Blue undertone to the skin. High-contrast coloring (distinct difference between the hair, skin, eyes).
Palette: Cool, clear colors. Blue-based shades with sharp intensity. A jewel-toned palette ranging from vivid colors to very pale, icy shades.
Person: The hair is usually dark (a solid color as opposed to visibly highlighted) with an ash base, and the skin and eyes are quite clear.
Celebrities: Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, Diahann Carroll, Connie Chung.

Summer

Blue undertone to the skin. Blended contrast (the hair, skin, eyes tend to blend together).
Palette: Cool, muted colors. Blue- based shades with a saturated intensity. A dusty palette ranging from pastels to very deep shades.
Person: The hair is usually medium dark to medium light (a dense color with a very subtle highlight) with an ash base, and the skin tone is saturated while the eyes are softly muted.
Celebrities: Grace Kelly, Queen Elizabeth, Jane Fonda.

Autumn

Golden undertone to the skin. Contrast is medium to high, but characterized by richness.
Palette: Warm, intense colors. Yellow based shades with a heavy saturation of richness. A fiery palette ranging from very vivid, hot shades to a few softly muted neutrals.
Person: The hair is usually a richly highlighted shade with a red base, ranging from very deep chestnut to fiery auburn to a very deep honey. The skin tone is rich and saturated (ranging from very pale to very deep) and the eyes are a mixture of marbelized color.
Celebrities: Natalie Wood, Ann-Margret, Diane Keaton, Katharine Hepburn, Shari Bela- fonte-Harper.

Spring

Golden undertone to the skin. Contrast is delicate, but sharp.
Palette: Warm and clear colors. Yellow based shades with a light, bright intensity. A vibrant pal ette ranging from very fresh, vivid shades to a few clear pales.
Person: The hair is usually a medium dense shade (with a subtle natural highlight) and a golden or red base, ranging from medium golden brown to strawberry to golden blond. The skin tone is clear and delicate, and the eyes are crisp.
Celebrities; Shirley MacLaine, Sissy Spacek, Vanessa Williams, Arlene Dahl, Eva Gabor.

Draping the Seasons

Question: How can I determine my "season"? Can I tell by just looking at myself in the mir ror? Can I tell by looking at the underside of my wrists?
Not really. The best way to objectively determine your season is with the help of three or four friends. To correctly determine your season, you've got to first determine both the undertone of your skin (blue or golden), and then the type of contrast between your hair, skin, and eyes. The only way to accurately do this is by a process called "draping," whereby you drape selected shades of fabric under your chin and compare the color of the fabric to the colors in your face. You cannot determine your undertone by simply looking at your wrist because you are merely viewing the "shade" of your skin tone, as opposed to the undertone or base coloration.
In the draping process, you discover your skin's undertone by an indirect method. The aim is to enhance the undertone of your skin by using a complementary base color from the selected fabric.
Here's how to do this: With a group of three or four friends, assemble the following large swaths of fabric:

Four shades of green:

a) a blue-based emerald green (clear and vivid)
b) a blue-based sen green (soft and dusty)
c) a yellow-based mossy green (rich and in- tense)
d) a yellow-based bright chartreuse (light and clear)

Four shades of red:

a) a blue-based scarlet (clear and vivid)
b) a blue-based dusty raspberry (soft and muted)
c) a yellow-based tomato (rich and intense)
d) a yellow-based bright poppy (light and clear)

Four shades of blue:

a) a blue-based royal (clear and vivid)
b) a blue-based cornflower (soft and dusty)
c) a yellow-based teal (rich and intense)
d) a yellow-based bright aqua (light and clear)

Four shades of pink:

a) a blue-based fuchsia (vivid and clear)
b) a blue-based dusty rose (soft and muted)
c) a yellow-based salmon (rich and intense)
d) a yellow-based bright coral (light and bright)
Now drape each other in these colors, following the order in which they're listed. As you're watching this process, be sure to focus on the person's face, not the color. (Remember, you're seeking to discover which color brings the person out, not sim- ply the color you like best.)
In the right shade, you'll watch the person's skin tone become smooth and clear; shadows will seem to miraculously disappear!
In the wrong shades, the color will reflect onto the person's face; you'll notice the color, not the person.
Have your friends vote on what they're seeing. You'll nearly always find the consensus of others to be correct. (Your own opinion may be somewhat prejudiced by color preferences and the thought of having to change your wardrobe!)
If the consensus is that the colors of group a tested best on you consistently, you are a "Winter." If the consensus is toward group b, you are a "Summer." If the consensus is toward group c, you are an "Autumn"; and if the consensus is toward group d, then you are a "Spring."
NOTE: It's very important to perform this draping ceremony in natural light, so be sure you work near a large window with good sun exposure. Also, if your hair has been artificially colored, or has any chemical processing on it such as perms or waves, be sure to cover it with a white turban or bandanna. This will prevent your altered haircolor from throwing any shadows on your face, which could result in a misanalysis. This is crucial in determining your season, so don't forgo it in the name of vanity! Since the skin tone is a much subtler color than your hair, it's very easy to simply match the shades of fabric to the hair, rather than to the complexion. Also, be sure you remove all traces of makeup before you begin!

Questions & Answers

Q. Can I be a mixture of seasons!
A. No, you cannot. It's genetically impossible! Each "season" refers to a specific type of coloring, of which there are only four. For example, you cannot have a mixture of a golden and a blue undertone. Since the undertone functions as the base of your skin tone, it determines whether the shade of skin you have is either warm or cool. A color can only have one base, whether it's skin color, haircolor, fabric, a cosmetic shade, or even the paint on your wall!
The basic law of abstract color theory states that the base of a color determines its shade. For example, a burgundy red has a blue base. It is this blue base that actually causes the shade to be burgundy instead of some other shade of red, say tomato red or rust. Likewise, a mossy green is caused by a yellow base, while an emerald green is emerald because its base is blue! Your skin tone is exactly the same. An olive skin is always caused by a blue undertone.That's why it's olive and not a tawny beige (which is caused by a golden undertone). On the other hand, an ivory skin tone has a golden base, which is what makes it ivory instead of porcelain (which is caused by a blue undertone). There isn't a single individual-dead, alive. or yet to be born who possesses a mixture of undertones. It simply can not happen!
Q. What about "intensity"? Can I be a mixture of the "cools" (WinteSummer) or the "warms" (Autumn/Spring)!
A. No, you cannot. As with the undertone, you have one type of intensity to your coloring. High contrast coloring needs clear shades to enhance and bring it out effectively. Blended coloring needs a saturation of color to allow the subtlety of your coloring to show through gracefully. Mixing the clear colors with the dusty tones only negates your particular type of coloring.
Moreover, the palettes themselves simply don't mix effectively when you translate them into clothing and cosmetics. If you were to try to create color combinations of the cool Winter and Summer palettes, for example, you would never be able to effectively combine the jewel tones of Winter with the elegantly dusty shades of Summer. Since the palettes are of opposing intensities, the shades themselves are not at all complementary. Any resulting outfits of clothing would simply be a hodgepodge of mismatched colors!
Even more disasterous would be an attempt to mix the tones in cosmetics. For a makeup to be successful, you absolutely must keep all the colors on your face in one family of color, both in terms of the base and the intensity. Mixing them is akin to wearing a shocking pink blouse with a bright orange lipstick! While the result might not always be this glaring, opposite color families do not blend together!
Q. But I've had my colors done "professionally," and I was told I'm a mixture. Why would that have happened?
A. Basically, that means one of two things. Either you were analyzed incorrectly, which is, unfortunately, becoming quite common because of improper training and a lack of experience among color consultants, or it's simply a question of semantics.
Frequently, in an effort to delineate among the specific shades that you can actually wear effectively (be cause of the variations in individual skin tone, hair, and eye colors that exist within a season), color consult ants have attempted to make your palette as specific to you as possible. This sometimes manifests in your being labeled a mixture of seasons or having a "subseason." While this is technically incorrect, since the colors within the seasonal palettes do not actually blend with the other palettes, the result is usually a way of defining the range of shades within your season that appear most exciting on you.
From my experience, based on analyzing thousands of clients over a number of years, I simply find it too inaccurate and confusing to try to suggest to my clients that they "mix" the palettes. It's not helpful in a practical sense, for it doesn't actually add any colors that they can effectively work with in clothing, cosmetics, or haircolor. And, since it's technically incorrect, as I previously stated, I find that the clients who come to our salon with a "mixture" of colors nearly always have either a diluted appearance, in terms of focus, or they have a lot of mistakes hanging in their closets! Can my "contrast" change with age?
Q. What about as my hair turns gray? Does this change my season?
A. No, your season never changes with age, or anything else! As your hair begins to gray, Nature is not only changing your haircolor, but is also changing your skin tone and eyes at the same time. The balance among these three elements always remains the same. For example, if you're a mature Vivid Winter, like actress Bea Arthur, the balance among your hai skin/eyes is best described as high contrast. You have a vivid haircolor, a fair skin, and an intense eye color. True, your haircolor is not the same as when you were twenty years old, when it was probably a deep brunette, but you've maintained the high contrast coloring you were born with. As your hair began to gray, it didn't turn a dull or mousy shade of gray, but rather went a brilliant silver, didn't it? Your skin and eyes have actually gotten lighter at the same time, even though this difference is probably imperceptible to you. Do yone that your high contrast has not changed at all! You still have a vivid haircolor, a fair skin, and an in- ten eye color. Your balance has remained the same! You are still a Vivid Winter, and the colors that focus your specific coloring are still cool and clear!
Whatever your season, Nature created your haiskin/eyes as a unit. They always change together, and the balance among them never changes That's why your season never changes!
Q. Does my season have anything to do with style? For example, I read somewhere that Winters should stick to solids and geometrics, while Autumns are very good in tweeds and textures.
A. Not in the least! Having your colors done has absolutely nothing to do with anything other than determining what your skin tone is and which palette of colors to work with to enhance it. It tells you nothing more specific than the range of colors to use. Your specific clothing choices (including fabrics and textures, as well as shapes and lines), makeup shades, and haircolor range all come from developing your personal style through discovering your Image Identity.
For example, Autumns are frequently told to concentrate on use of textures in their wardrobe. Yet Ann-Margret is a Fiery Autumn, but as a Theatrical Romantic, I'd much rather see her in silks, satins, angora, and se quins than rough textures or tweeds any day of the year!
Having your colors done can be a wonderful and exciting addition to your life, and I highly recommend it when it's properly executed. Just be careful not to give it more importance than it's worth. Your coloring is only one part of you - it's worthy of being carefully looked at, but only within the contest of your total look.

Now I’m sure for those of us who are more visual the written descriptions of these colors can be ultra confusing! Unfortunately we can not share the seasonal palettes David has created. However, the palettes as well as a wealth of additional information on the sub seasons, additional celebrities as well as the three make up palettes for each season etc. can be accessed within the Four Season Freedom Facebook Group.
My personal tip is to get a good grasp on basic color theory by understanding what blue based vs yellow based colors look like. A really creative and explorative way to approach this is by getting some paints out and mixing the tones to see how blue (cool) with added yellow (warm) transforms into a warm blue. (Please ensure you use a true Yellow, a true Blue, a true Red, a true Black and a true White).
The goal of the system isn’t to just wear the colors David has in his seasonal palettes - it’s to use these as a jumping off point. So, that you can then take the concept of your coloring and have the ability to intuitively identify colors that harmonise with you rather than pull out a palette on your phone every time you go clothes or make up shopping!
Each season can be quickly understood by what it’s characteristics evoke:

Winter (Cool) is Jewel

Spring (Warm) is Vibrant

Summer (Cool) is Lush

Autumn (Warm) is Fiery

A quick disclaimer!! No season gets boring muted colors. Everyone gets beautifully saturated colors! You won’t see the sad, drab and dull tones often seen in other seasonal color systems here! For example Summer is Lush in tone not muted and Autumn is fiery in tone, again not muted In any sense if the word.

Let’s talk about the defining characteristics tied to certain seasons

I want to preface this part, by reminding us all that much like our Kibbe ID, we are born with the innate characteristics we have ; we are who we are meant to be! And so it’s never a case of being relegated to certain IDs or color seasons based on certain characteristics. But, instead we are embarking on the journey to discover what has always been there with the objective of achieving harmony with ourselves and in doing so bringing out our unique beauty.
Brown eyes. Brown eyes are a feature of high contrast coloring and therefore will always be a high contrast season; Autumn or Winter.
Naturally Ginger / Red hair Ginger / Red hair is a warm color (a mix of a golden base with added red) and therefore will always be a warm season; Spring or Autumn.
An Olive undertone Olive is always caused by a blue undertone, therefore it will always be Winter.
Naturally Blonde hair Blonde hair can be any season except for Winter which requires a high level of contrast between the features; Skin/HaiEyes.
The Color Black Black is considered a cool tone that casts a shade on its surrounds, due to its depth of contrast is only given to Winters as with Winters it enhances the clarity of coloring whether-as with all other seasons it muddies their coloring.
The Color White White, on the other hand is universally given to all seasons as it is considered a neutral.

Hi Tankers,
I usually don't post often about games, but I have to admit, WOT is my game. I have more than 53.000 battles and would consider myself a good player (3060 WN8).
I really like the game and the gameplay. It looks simple, but under the surface lies a lot of complexity, that once learned and grasped rewards you in big ways.
A huge part of that complexity is the theoretically large amount of tanks that can face each other in a battle and how they interact with their strengths and weaknesses on different maps.
However, do you also feel, that the game turned from "World of Tanks" more and more to "World of Premium Tanks" or even more limited to "World of Bourrasque/Progetto/BZ/ELC"?
I get it, playing with powerful tanks is fun. Dealing damage is fun, winning is fun. However, I myself really enjoy playing underwhelming tanks as well. For example I recently marked the Black Prince. While it was not the greatest experience I ever had, it was not horrible either. It was new. Low alpha and slow, but a lot of HP to bully enemies face to face. I had to make it work and for me that was part of the fun - you may call it a challenge.
How can we deal with the problem, that especially new or weaker players not only get the impression, that they would perform better and win more in tanks like the BZ, they also have the advantage of playing in a premium tank making more credits than they would when playing the tech-tree counterpart.
The same is of course true for experienced players and unicums who push these tanks to their limits making it very hard for other players to get an enjoyment out of resulting one-sided rounds.
So to bring more variety to the queue, I would suggest, that WG creates a daily or weekly mission or set of missions for a random tech-tree tank of all available tech-tree tanks - not necessarly researched or in the garage (starting from Tier 5 or 6). Of course, it would have to be random for each player individually. It would not even have to be completely random, WG has data which tanks are played the least and which are played the most tier for tier. They could let that flow in the RNG for which tank is chosen for the missions.
I was thinking about making it that only a tank could be chosen for a player that has already been researched or even is in the garage, but I realized, that would actually punish players with a larger garage and would lead to players only researching the best TT lines and would not help the problem at all. So it has to be a random pick from all researchable tanks (from tier 5 or 6 upwards).
Now I realize this would have to be implemented with thought. To prevent just clicking in the queue and wasting your tank the missions would have to have some moderate requirements, like be top 5 or 7 exp of your team. But make the rewards worthwhile enough so that players might even be incentivized to research more tank lines or even buy back some tanks to get a higher chance to participate.
What rewards would you consider appropriate enough to be motivated to play a tank that you normally would not play?
I also was realizing that with the crew changes my idea is way more player friendly than it would be before. You can now use any crew for your tank. Sure, their perks might not work but if you set the mission requirements not too high, you should stil be able to have a decent round with a normal 100% crew.
For WG it would be good, because players would strive after researching more tanks (gold-to-xp) and buying more tanks for silver (more games and/or buying gold/silver from WG).
For the players it would be good, because the game could widen more. The experience would get much broader again. As a counterpoint, you might argue, that it gets more complicated for newer players, when they have to face on average a much wider amount of opposing vehicles than before, memorizing their guns and weak spots etc. On the other hand most of the tech-tree tanks still are less powerful than their premium counterparts nowadays, so if I was a new player I would rather face a Tiger II than a BZ-176.
What do you all think? Would you personally like to see more variety again, especially more tech-tree tanks in the tiers 6-8 and more non-meta tanks in the tiers 9-10?

This is long so thanks to all who reads this. My boyfriend and I have been together for 10 years and we have had a ton of ups and downs. As I mentioned he is a school counselor, he has even had inappropriate relations with another teacher at one of the schools he worked at and that was a whole thing. So I’m very insecure bc he has a history of texting and flirting with other girls. So this school year he’s at a new school settling into his role. He’s a young handsome man and he tells me all the time how he can’t get students out of his office, and for some time I could understand bc it’s rare for black students to see a young black counselor especially having a similar disadvantaged upbringing as them. So here is where my problem started. All these girls would come to him and cry about their relationship issues (something I didn’t do in high school) and say they think their pregnant etc and all these teenage sob stories. So a pregnant student invited him to her baby shower and he was dead set on going because he supported her a lot and we had a VERY LONG conversation about OPTICS and how we never want things ever look a certain way. When I told a family member we were going to said students baby shower I was given the response “why? That’s weird.” So there’s the optics. So fast forward, I’m going through his phone and he texted a female student at 5:30 AM (we were at the gym together I was doing RDLs in front of him) “happy birthday 🎈🎊”. At 5:30??!! He said that the previous day she kept reminding him and her mom has cancer and he feels bad so that’s just when he remembered. So then the student texts later “wya with my chipotle” and he responds “driving back”. He said that he buys students lunch on their birthdays. I continue going through the phone and I see multiple students numbers saved male and female but I’m more concerned about the females asking “can you call me down 5th period”. For example.
Now I do not think he is a groomer bc these messages are largely about graduation dates and deadlines and he does not communicate with students after school hours BUT after we already had the conversation about optics and I’ve already voiced my insecurities he’s continued to show he has blurred boundaries. I don’t plan to stick around when the accusations come rolling in. When I confronted him I felt gaslit and when I said I was going to post the screenshot to social media he almost got physical because I’m putting his character and job in jeopardy but I believe other people would agree with me that his behavior is weird. TLDR

Source: 🔗 Chat with Lifelike Virtual Personalities — talkiemate.com
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In this post, we’ll explore the top 10 free Character AI alternatives that stand out in the ever-evolving landscape of AI-assisted character creation. Whether you’re a budding novelist, an ambitious game designer, or just someone with a passion for storytelling, these alternatives provide powerful solutions. Embrace the future of character development without the hefty price tag and elevate your creative projects to new heights.
Talkiemate.com
Talkiemate AI is a powerful tool that excels in character AI creation, making it a top choice for many users. Let’s explore its key features and how it stacks up against paid alternatives.
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Additionally, Talkiemate AI provides advanced customization options for facial expressions, gestures, and emotions, giving creators full control over the personalities of their characters. The tool’s integration with text-to-speech technology ensures clear and natural-sounding speech output, enhancing the overall quality of character interactions.
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Candy.ai
Candy.ai is a delightful platform designed to assist in character generation with ease and efficiency. Let’s delve into the features and user experience of this innovative tool.
Overview
Candy.ai offers a myriad of features that streamline the character creation process. From diverse customization options to a user-friendly interface, Candy.ai simplifies the task of bringing characters to life. With its intuitive design, users can quickly navigate through the platform to craft unique and compelling characters for various projects.
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The user experience with Candy.ai is nothing short of exceptional. Novice users and experienced creators alike appreciate the intuitive nature of the platform. The straightforward layout and easy-to-use tools make character generation a seamless and enjoyable process. Moreover, the high level of customization options allows users to fine-tune every aspect of their characters, ensuring they meet specific project requirements effortlessly. Candy.ai truly empowers users to unleash their creativity without any technical hurdles.
Replika
Replika, an innovative character AI platform, offers a range of unique features that set it apart in the realm of AI-generated characters.
Unique Selling Points
Replika stands out for its ability to create deeply personalized interactions with users. It leverages machine learning to adapt to individual personalities, creating a unique conversational experience. Additionally, Replika provides a safe space for users to express themselves without judgment, fostering a sense of empathy and understanding between the user and the AI character.
Community Feedback
User feedback on Replika has been overwhelmingly positive. Many users praise the platform for its empathetic responses and engaging conversations. Some have likened interacting with Replika to talking to a close friend, highlighting the platform’s ability to provide companionship and emotional support. Overall, Replika’s community feedback underscores its effectiveness in creating meaningful connections with users.
Photo by ThisIsEngineering
Anima AI
In the realm of character creation, Anima AI stands out as a powerful tool that brings characters to life with ease.
Functionality
Anima AI offers a diverse range of functionalities that elevate character creation to new heights. From generating unique personalities to crafting intricate backstories, Anima AI provides creators with the ability to breathe life into their characters effortlessly. Its advanced algorithms analyze various traits and attributes to create well-rounded characters that resonate with audiences. Whether you need a hero with a tragic past or a quirky sidekick, Anima AI can tailor characters to suit your narrative needs with precision and flair.
Integration Options
Anima AI seamlessly integrates into a variety of platforms, making it a versatile choice for character AI utilization. Whether you’re designing a video game, animated film, or virtual reality experience, Anima AI can be easily incorporated to enhance the storytelling experience. Its compatibility with popular software and engines streamlines the integration process, allowing creators to focus on unleashing their imagination without technical barriers. With Anima AI, the possibilities for character creation are boundless, offering a seamless workflow for bringing characters to life in diverse mediums.
Photo by Google DeepMind
DeepFiction
DeepFiction is an intriguing free character AI tool that offers a range of innovative features to enhance character creation for various storytelling purposes.
Innovative Features:
DeepFiction stands out from other character AI tools due to its cutting-edge capabilities. One of the standout features is its ability to automate book printing, providing users with a seamless way to bring their characters to life in physical form. Additionally, DeepFiction offers VR story experiences, allowing creators to immerse themselves in their characters’ worlds and explore narratives in a whole new dimension. Another innovative feature is the conversational character bots, enabling interactions with characters in a dynamic and engaging manner. These features combine to elevate the character creation process and empower users to craft compelling and immersive stories effortlessly.
For more information about the innovative features of DeepFiction, visit their official website.
Limitations:
While DeepFiction excels in providing advanced features for character AI creation, users may encounter certain limitations or challenges when utilizing the tool. One potential limitation is the learning curve associated with leveraging the full range of features effectively. Users may need time to familiarize themselves with all the functionalities DeepFiction offers, which could require additional time investment upfront. Additionally, as with any AI tool, there may be occasional technical glitches or inconsistencies that users may experience, affecting the overall user experience. Despite these limitations, DeepFiction remains a powerful platform for character AI creation, offering unique and valuable tools for storytellers and content creators.
To explore pricing and more details about DeepFiction AI, check out their profile on Capterra.
DeepFiction’s commitment to innovation and creativity makes it a compelling choice for those seeking to enhance their storytelling capabilities through AI-driven character creation tools.
StoryMate
StoryMate offers excellent features that cater to seamless collaboration among creators, streamlining character development projects.
Ease of Collaboration
StoryMate simplifies the collaborative process by providing tools that allow creators to work together efficiently. With StoryMate, creators can easily share ideas, exchange feedback, and collectively work on character development, enhancing the overall project coherence. The platform’s user-friendly interface fosters a cohesive environment where creators can brainstorm, plan, and execute ideas collaboratively, ensuring a holistic approach to character AI creation.
Photo by Dio Hasbi Saniskoro
Customization Capabilities
StoryMate empowers users with a wide range of customization options to tailor character AI outputs according to specific project requirements. Creators can adjust various parameters such as tone, personality traits, and speech patterns to create unique and engaging characters. The platform’s intuitive customization tools enable creators to fine-tune every aspect of their characters, ensuring a personalized touch in the AI-generated content. By offering extensive customization capabilities, StoryMate allows creators to unleash their creativity and bring their envisioned characters to life with precision.
Conclusion
Exploring the top free Character AI alternatives opens a world of possibilities for enhancing your character creation process without any financial burden. Each alternative offers unique features, from conversational depth to sophisticated personality crafting. Leveraging these tools can significantly enhance your creative projects, whether you’re a writer, game developer, or a hobbyist.
Experimenting with different options can help you discover which tool aligns best with your specific needs, ultimately enriching your storytelling and project development. Dive in, explore these resources, and enhance your characters like never before.

Hi guys. Sorry for the rant, but im hoping someone can help me. Im 25 and I feel stuck. You know how your family basically tells you to be a doctor or lawyer, so you go into the field thinking thats what you want, but then when you graduate you find that theres so many other jobs that allow you to work in that field without you actually having to BE those chosen careers? And its much cheaper, faster and you make good money too? Well thats what happened. I have unfortunately been forced to live in the idea/image my parents wanted for me. I dont want that so im putting my foot down and starting over. The problem is, i dont know what to do. I have so many lives I want to live but i have not been given the resources to go for it. So im hoping that someone can see the things im interested in and tell me if theres a job that incorporates all of these criteria? I know its a big ask, but im desperate. About me: -I have a B.S in health sciences pre-med with a double minor in public health and psychology.
-Truth is, school was very difficult for me but I can apply myself into the topic at hand so long as im interested. I guess if im not interested in a topic, I won’t care. For example, I know very important information and how things work in different medical fields, but I don't think I could pass all thats required for medical school. I realized I love the idea of being a medical doctor, but i dont have the capacity for it. Im not the best test taker, I suck at math, like REALLY suck. Im a great writer and awesome at group discussion and I can teach others better than I can teach myself. I am great at psychoanalyzing and im a big talker. I am really good at giving advice. I am great at following directions and taking initiative, and i'll learn any job if interested. Many people tell me i should be in HR for way I articulate my thoughts professionally. The criteria: These are the things i studied that I can retain info on and have knowledge of: -Pharamcology - I love the study of drugs and their interactions. While I was in college, this was probably the only science class I was upset they only offered one course (intro to pharm). I always wanted to do research with drugs but wasn’t sure where to begin. -Public health - i freaking love public health studies. this was absolutely my favorite subject in college and took 6 courses for public health. It was so interesting and for a long time, I wanted to get into research. I thought epidemiology was what I wanted to do, and I still do. I love research and I believe public health is the only way I can apply information iv learned into the real world, while also having a part in medicine (even if ill be apart of the discovery/background only). I’ve always wanted to do research in infectious and chronic diseases, and I hoped to study how drugs play into these diseases as well. -Psychology - This is what I wanted to be for a long time, but one day or another I psyched myself out of it. Iv always been told i should have been a therapist. That I have a way with people and can dissect certain info and get the truth without even asking for it. I loved psychology with all my heart and i genuinely saw myself being a therapist, but in the world we live in today, it seems it wasnt the best job. So finally, is there a job that combines all 3? Or similar paths? Or is there a path you think id do well in based on the short piece you know about me? Thank you guys!

I'm still pretty new to ClickUp and I'm hoping for some guidance! I have quite a few recurring tasks set up at the moment. For example, I have a task that I have to do every Monday - send notes from our team meeting. Yesterday, I sent the notes and then marked the task as complete. Shortly after that, the task reappeared in my list with the due date of next Monday. Obviously the recurrence is working, which is great, but I'm wondering if there is a way to keep that task hidden until next Monday. This isn't some big project that I need to be thinking about or working on all week, and I don't like that it's cluttering up my list. Instead, I'd like for it to stay hidden until its due date, at which time I would like it to show up in my list.
The picture attached shows how I have the recurrence set up. I can't find any options that sound like what I'm looking for, but maybe I'm missing something.
Does anyone know if this is something I'm able to do? Thank you!
Edit: I have the Unlimited plan if that makes a difference

This is for people who have absolutely no idea of non tech profiles like Business analyst, product analyst, data analyst etc and how to get into it. In business analyst and product roles guesstimates and case studies are common. For both of these you can start with 'case interviews cracked' book and the YouTube channel that goes by same name. There is also handwritten guesstimates question book too you can find in internet. For case studies you can go about, IIM A and FMS casebook. For product analyst, there are additional product related questions like product development, product improvement, etc. There are websites for the same and YouTube channels too for roadmaps. Third is data analyst, just search for data analyst bootcamp on YouTube. It has Excel, SQL, powerBI, python etc. You need to practice the questions for the same for months in gfg etc etc. Take part in hackathons and competitions. Make your preparation group of 3 4 people, since such interviews are conversation based. Practice for 3 4 months. And then also be in loop of seniors who made it to sprinklr etc. Don't be afraid of asking about the process and questions asked in particular company's process from the alumni working in these companies.

Spring is winding down, summer's on it's way; would love to get a little cash to fund the summer fun (and the next parts order). Still, trades are always on the table. Don't be shy with the cheapies.
TLDR
I got:

• A bunch of unique handmade stuff, including fuzzes, drives, and filters.
• Some 9V/12V practice amps I made from old speakers.
• A handful of cheapies
• A digitech Multi-FX
• Some bulky items for local trade in the Nashville, TN area.

I want:

• Just about anything related to musical instruments and music making: Effects, instruments, gizmos, recording stuff, etc.
• Or lots of other things not remotely related to music. Try me.
• Or money
• I mean, basically, if you want a pedal, especially a handmade one, and are willing to send me something of reasonable value for it, you have a good shot at getting it.

DIY STUFF
(If you are NOT into handmade stuff, scroll down because I have some other items at the end.)
This is hand-built stuff that I made, mostly relatively unique or heavily tweaked designs built on vero or point to point. Many are housed in upcycled tins, a few in Hammond boxes. They all run on standard 9v pedal power. These aren't clones for the most part, unless they are; but normally I actually monkey about with the circuits quite a bit or just test out wacky ideas. If you want something nobody else has, you're in the right place…
I have the handmades valued in 4 tiers:

• D tier are my trashy cheapies, made from reclaimed components. I don't feel right asking a lot for reclaimed components. I value them in the $40 - $50 range, not really picky about what I trade for. I might even take dirt pedals for these. Only got one left, trying to phase out this tier.
• C tier are the cheapies made with new components. I value these in the $50 - $60 range, not very picky here either.
• B tier are my average builds, I will trade for pedals in the $65-$90 value range, depending on the complexity of the build. A little pickier, but still pretty open.
• A tier are my happy happy builds, usually more complex or just nicer quality. I will be picky about trades for these. (But still not Boutique prices; I have no delusions). It's probably less about value here and more about how much I actually want the thing you have. Think in the $90 - $130 range.

MOBILE USERS: There are 4 columns in the tables below: Name, Tier, Links, and Notes. If you don't see all 4, scroll over or ask for more info.
Fuzzes

Name	Tier	Links	Notes
Bazz Me Fuss You #1	A	PIC DEMO	A bazz-fussified perversion of the Escobedo push-me-pull-you, featuring controls for octave and volume. This is the first unit I've built using my own custom PCB. Housed in a painted 125B with top jacks.
Space Fuzz	B+	PIC DEMO	This is a Hollis crash sync fuzz that I souped up with an LFO to modulate the filtesync frequency. Really wild flangery/phasey type gated fuzz sound. At the right settings you can get some octave-down effects as well. Housed in a ~3.5 inch square game tin reinforced with recycled plastic. Pretty pleased with this build.
SwirlFuzz	B+	PIC DEMO	Modulated octave fuzz prototype. It's an octave fuzz, but you can switch on an LFO to modulate the octave amount. Controls for Rate, Depth, Gain, and Volume, plus switches for waveshape and mode (Normal/Octave/Modulated). In a circular tin reinforced with recycled plastic.
Baller Fuzz	B	PIC DEMO	Another Bazz-Me-Fuss-You build with an added BMP-style tone control. In a slightly beaten-up heart-shaped basketball tin. Y'all ready for this?
Big Green Fuzz for Attractive Bass Players	B	PIC Demo	Like my bazz-me-fuss-you circuit, but with a big muff tone stack, a clean blend, and optional clippers for more compression. Housed in a big round tin reinforced with recycled plastic and designed specifically for attractive bass players. Unattractive ones may not really gel with this.
Creature from the planet Chyowngg	B	PIC Demo	Prototype of a unique fuzz I've been developing that I call the Chyowngg fuzz. It's a 2-stage octaver that gives a bright synthy tone with a distinctive envelope (hence the name). You can toggle each stage from octave to non-octave mode for a variety of interesting timbres. Also has a tone control, but the tone control is before the octave stages so it results in interesting behaviors depending on the switch settings. It's in a tin meant to be painted like an alien, though some say it looks more like a triceratops.
Dumbo's Bazzrite Fussrite	C	PIC Demo	A bazz-fussified mosrite fuzzrite circuit I cobbled together in point-to-point wiring style. Housed in a little Dumbo puzzle tin with GLITTER! Controls are for balance (kind of tone-cum-gain) and volume.
Wiff Spwinkles on Top	C	PIC Demo	This point-to-point fuzz lives in the same neighborhood as the Harmonic Percolator, but has a few differences. I altered the way the gain knob works, and added a switch to toggle bass cut. It's housed in an ice-creamity welly tin.

Drives, Distortions, and Boosts

Name	Tier	Links	Notes
Bronze Drive	A	PIC Demo	This is a point-to-point, transistor based overdrive I designed based loosely on the Davisson Easy Drive. Good for low-gain crunchy tones and plenty of output volume on tap if you want it for a boost. Tone circuit is like a BMP stack but with a mid hump instead of a mid cut. Housed in a painted 125B.
Copper ZenerMorph Drive	B	PIC Demo	This is an experiment in zener diode clipping. Nice crispy drive that gets beefier as you turn up the gain, lots of good edge-of-breakup tones to be had. Housed in a decorated tin reinforced with some recycled plastic.
Shining Hope Drive	B	PIC Demo	Differential mirroring drive, gives a kind of overdriven-mixer-channel distortion. Controls for gain, tone, and volume. Housed in a star-shaped Christmas tin.
B is for Beast	C	PIC DEMO	This fun little drive/boost consists of two cascading MOSFET gain stages with optional clipping in between. It goes from clean and loud to massive wall-of-gain distortion nicely. Controls for gain, clipping, and volume. In a small heart-shaped tin about 4in by 4in.
Green Sparkler Boost	D	PIC	Just an Escobedo Duende JFET boost built point-to-point in a sparkly little round tin. Gives a little gain and a bit of warmth to the tone.

Non-Dirt

Name	Tier	Links	Notes
Quack like a penguin	B+	PIC DEMO	Third build of the Chykka Wakka, a WIP all-transistor envelope filter. This one is built on vero, and features controls for Q, Range, and Attack, as well as toggles for Voicing and envelope smoothing. Housed in a smallish penguin tin reinforced with recycled plastic.
Gift of Chykka Wakka	B	PIC DEMO	First build of an all-transistor envelope filter I designed. Built point-to-point style and housed in a little giftbox tin reinforced with recycled plastic. Controls for Q and Sweep, switch toggles envelope smoothing.
Vortex of Funk	B	PIC DEMO	Second build of the Chykka-Wakka circuit, this one features attack, Q, and range controls. Built point-to-point and housed in a painted tin.
BZZZ BOOP BEEP	B	PIC DEMO	A basic square wave oscillator on a momentary switch. Can go from bzzz to boop to beep with a sweep of the big knob. Also has tone and volume controls, and a 3-way switch for different decay amounts. Use it to simulate a spring door stopper or dying cow. Or bleep your foul-mouthed frontman. Or mess with the sound guy. Or send Morse code to the bar. I dunno. Housed in a painted tin reinforced with recycled plastic.

Little Amps

Name	Price/Trades	Links	Description
Ample iMank	$65	PICS DEMO	This is a Runoffgroove Ruby Amplifier built into this old multimedia speaker enclosure designed to look like an old iMac. Glows blue when you turn it on. It runs from a standard 9v pedal power. It's not terribly loud, nor terribly clean, but if you dig the classic mac vibe it might be fun. Controls for gain and volume, and a power switch on the back.
Nosy Amp	$75	PICS DEMO	Another solid-state amp based on the Ruby amplifier, housed in a repurposed bookshelf speaker. This one actually has pretty decent volume, even on 9V (can run on 12V as well for more), and can stay clean while getting loud enough for a quiet jam with friends.
Fleur-de-Lis Amp	$90	PICS DEMO	A tiny bookshelf speaker turned into a practice amp. This one features a class D power amp for lovely cleans, and a custom designed discrete preamp that gets punchy & crunchy when cranked. Runs on 9V but pretty loud nonetheless.

Non-DIY Stuff
Make an offer. I respect Reverb Price Guide values, though I may lean high if it's a feeler.

Brand	Name	Condition	Notes
Danelectro	Fab Chorus	Excellent	Cheap plastic chorus, but sounds great. Probably just a make-weight, too cheap to trade on its own.
Caline	10-band EQ	Good	Works fine, I just don't really need 10 bands of EQ. Has velcro on the back, and sometimes makes a weird noise when you turn on the pedalboard. Another make-weight.
Ibanez	PH7	Good	Tonelok phaser. Great pedal, has some glue on the bottom I couldn't get off, but works fine.
BOSS	TU-12H	Good	Crusty vintage tuner from Boss. Still works great, but it's missing the outer case (still has the inner part). If you had one in the day and want to relive the magic, feel free to make an offer.
Digitech	RP360	Very Good	Great multifx, I've gotten some fun sounds out of it, but it isn't seeing much use. I'm just more of a discrete FX guy I guess.
MOTU	MIDI express	Good	This is an antique MIDI patchbay and interface. It's pre-USB and uses the parallel cable (PC) or some kind of Apple-specific DIN cable (Mac). Could be used standalone, or maybe you're into retro MIDI setups? Comes with box and cables anyway.
unknown builder	PedalPCB Cataclysm	Very Good	This is a really solid build of a PedalPCB cataclysm (Disaster Transport Jr clone) built by someone other than me. Pics here. Not sure what to value it, but make an offer.

Local (Nashville TN area) ONLY

Brand	Name	Condition	Notes
TEAC	A3340S 4-Track Reel-to-Reel	Good	Cleaned up, oiled up, and in good working order last time I tried it out. Meant to do some analog recording, but just haven't gotten the time or space. Would trade for a decent instrument of some kind. Might even throw in a copy of Craig Anderton's "Home Recording for Musicians", which uses the same unit.
Altec-Lansing	Power amp (9442A)	Fair	300 W, 2 rack-unit power amp, can work in stereo or bridged mode. Last time I used it one of the channels was a little flaky. Couldn't be bothered to fix it myself. Heavy as all get out, I'll sell for cheap if you're local.

What would I trade for??
I'm wide open to trades for music gear of all kinds and other items of value.
Some Priority Wants:

• A next level looper like the Pigtronix Infinity 3. Feeling limited by my current setup. Something with MIDI sync, multiple loop tracks, tempo sync.
• Boss OC-5.
• A reverb with a really good plate algorithm.
• Compact 12 channel mixer. Preferably a Mackie VLZ or similar.
• Isolated pedal power supply.
• Genuine e-Bow. Already own 2 clones, looking to try the real shebang.
• A multiple-MIDI I/O unit.
• A 1-U rack-mount mixer.
• Money.

Other things I'd likely trade for:

• Pedals, naturally:
  • Especially fancy DSP type pedals (the kind I can't build), or a nice analog flangechorus.
  • Decent analog pedals that need repair. Expect a lot of questions and not much value, though.
  • Check "probably not wants" below
• Studio gear like mics, headphones, cables, small mixers, rack gear, etc.
• Synths and midi gear, especially cheap stuff like Volcas or Reface, etc. Really need a MIDI interface with multiple I/O.
  • I kinda dig old casio/yamaha cheapies.
  • Drum machines are interesting to me.
• Musical instruments? I play about everything, or would like to try anyway.
  • I'd like to acquire a tele style guitar at some point. Even just a cheapie knockoff.
  • If you've got a not-too-expensive Ibanez fretless bass (or similar), let's talk. I'll offer things on the secret menu.
• Also Non-music things:
  • Unbuilt pedal kits, pedal enclosures, bulk lots of electronics parts, etc.
  • Electronics/DIY tools or supplies (scope, transistor tester, solder, etc)
  • Something weird and creative. Random items of modest value you want to get rid of. Handmade items that are giftable.
  • Did I mention money? I do paypal and venmo.

Probably not wants (doesn't apply to C or D-tier builds, offer anything for those):

• Dirt pedals. Might make an exception for something really intriguing, though.
• Eurorack modules, unless anyone wants to trade me a whole starter setup (yeah, probably not, right?)
• Guitaamp/cab parts. Not really into modding that stuff. Yet.
• Behringer pedals. Just not a fan.
• Any pedal whose value is primarily as a collectible (Vintage, Rare editions/colorways/signature models, etc)
• If I can get it on Amazon or Reverb for under $50, I'd rather we bundled a few things to make it worth the shipping cost.

A Note about mods/repairs/custom jobs: Feel free to shoot me your ideas, but probably I'm leaning toward not doing these. Expect to pay/trade way more for something custom than what I ask for the pedals I've already built.

There is a milk street recipe for caramel-braised chicken with ginger and lime that I've been making for years around 1x month. I've made some of my own modifications for flavor purposes and the end result each and every time is superb. BUT. the very first step with this dish is to make a caramel sauce.
I'm definitely on the more advanced side of a home cook and have a strong grasp/ understanding of food chemistry and culinary techniques, but beyond this dish I don't ever go near the heated sugacaramel/candy area.
I've used most often an enameled cast iron pan (le creuset) or just a standard lighter weight metal pan. I've had success and failures in both.
The caramel is made of coconut water and white sugar. (I use either goya or iberia coconut water and strain out the pulp)

• You combine 1 TBS coconut water + 1/4 cup of white sugar over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until mixture turns gold at the edges
  • they say this takes ~3 minutes... I find it takes a bit longer
• Reduce to medium, continue to cook, swirling the pan without stirring until the caramel is mahogany in color and smokes lightly another 4-5 minutes
  • at some point in this second stage of cooking is the turning point to crystals, or the desired outcome

Even though I'm usually able to rescue it (sometimes I'm not and they crystallization is too extreme and I just start over again) around 60% of the time I make this, the caramel starts to crystalize. It seems random and I really don't know why sometimes I end up with the desired liquid mahogany, and other times its a mixture of undercooked crystal that I rescue with the subsequent steps of adding more liquid.
I don't know if it is something related to heat, timing, ingredient properties, the pan I'm using... If anyone has any tips or insight into what I might be doing wrong or how I can more consistently end up with a liquid rather than a crystalized product it would be very much appreciated!!!!

I’m f 23 and I’m reviewing my life. I do every few months and always decide to stay with my mum. Because I need her emotional support, money, and I love her a lot, or perhaps better worded: have a personality that can be described as Co-dependent.
My mum tries to alienate everyone from me including my grandma, aunt, dad and brother by always talking shit about them every time I bring them up. Even when I was younger she’d ask me “do you like dad or mum more?” And treat me badly if I said I like my dad more.
She was always jealous of my brother and I hanging out together so as long as she’s awake or in the house we don’t speak to each other or she gets very angry and always butts into the conversation to ask what we are doing, and tries to monitor what we talk about a the time.
She constantly encourages us to be paranoid since we were young, telling us everyone is “watching us because we are acting stupid”, that people “hate us because we are stupid”. She treats unintelligent people like garbage or less than human. It’s the only thing that matters to her. She always says “I don’t understand how you kids have social anxiety!” In such a cheerful way and pretends not to remember anything she did to us. She loves to humiliate us. Shouting in public about our insecurities. Saying to me”if you think you’re fat I’ll call you fatty”, and addressing me “fatty” and when I get annoyed she just says “it’s just a joke… you know I love you dearly”. She always finds a way to feel powerful from our insecurities, playing the heartbroken mum.
She buys us gifts and is kind for a few weeks. Lovebombing us. Then she turns around whenever we get too uncomfortable, and threatens to leave. She says she regrets ever loving us and that buying us the gifts were a mistake and “she was just her trying her best.” Because she’s fully aware and feels guilty of her own behaviour whilst never admitting to it.
She made my brother sleep in a bin when he was 4 years old saying she will “dump us in the rubbish where we belong and put us in orphanages” because we couldn’t finish our food at a dinner in front of her friends. When I was 6 my uncle purchased me a set of crayons and she forced me to hand them out to the class once each. she hit me so much until I submitted and agreed to her conditions. It took a lot of whacks because I loved the crayons :/.
She would put me in situations where I became a bad person and she would just be a bystande victim. She would bawl crocodile tears saying “she only did this because I’m a bad mother”, and that statement was the most true thing that ever left her mouth . For example, when I was around 12 she said I was “on her laptop for too long” when I had a group project due the next day. So she kept the laptop on lock saying I’m not allowed to access it. The next day my teacher had a massive go at me, saying I had a responsibility for the group project and made my group fail. I told her the truth when she asked why I couldn’t complete my work. She called my mum immediately to ask if it was true. Then the most unexpected thing happened and I could hear my mum crying through the phone saying it never happened: that I’m a liar. The teacher never looked at me the same way again. She was one of my favourite teachers. I went home and asked my mum why she did it and she got very angry, saying I “never asked her to use the laptop”. She would always pretends to be unaware of her actions, feigning ignorance as her greatest weapon.
My brother tells me after each time I try to accuse my mum for her past behaviours, my mum would talk to him afterwards. Saying how “no one will ever believe a word she says. It’s so pitiful to see her try”. She would laugh and scoff at me saying I’m a failure etc, and that’s why no one will believe. He tells me I need to leave or my life will be painful, suffocating, and controlled.
I’ll never be able to have a partner. She rejects all my friends. She would kick them out of the house even when I had friends over on play dates when I was 8 years old, and she would tell me how all my friends were bad children. She starts getting angry when I call my bestie and grabs my phone to turn it off when I’m on a call even now. She starts saying I need to do all these chores and should be grateful for her etc, and that if I were a good person I wouldn’t call my best friend.
She controls me with money. With how much I can earn, how much I can spend. She gets incredibly angry when I save and has always discouraged it. Because saving means power to leave her. She’s confiscated or taken my money many times. She demands rent from me whenever I earn to stop me from saving. She says she’ll kick me out whenever she realises I’m making too many friends or becoming closer to other family members.
She’s always controlled my dad, brother, and myself with threats of abandonment. Even when I was little she would tell me she’d leave me and never return because im a bad child and I don’t deserve her. She’d disappear on” holidays” without telling us.
All the while she says she wants me to be her little girl forever and that she’ll never let me go. She said this to me many times throughout my childhood, and the last time was three months ago.
If I talk about my problems she tries to shut me up with her sob stories from her childhood -that turned out never happened when I asked my grandma.
I’ll never escape. :/

TW for sexual assault
My wife and I were high school sweethearts. The first year of dating was extremely rough. Both because we were immature teenagers, and because of HEAVY trauma we were each bringing into the relationship.
We both did some pretty awful things, that would never happen again today. We are practically different people. The main "big" thing the happened on my wife's side, was cheating. Getting into the relationship, she was a bit promiscuous and engaged in other dangerous behavior, primarily because she was molested, damn near her whole childhood. And the poor coping didn't stop once we started dating. There was a period of time where we couldn't see each other AT ALL due to COVID as well as my homophobic parents. She did not handle this well, obviously. She ended up cheating with a mutual friend of ours. Part of what sparked that mutual friend specifically being the AP, is that they were both molested as kids and were experiencing a sort of trauma bond. It started as an emotional affair, and escalated to the point where she had the AP in her bed, tried to cuddle, but then kicked the AP out in disgust of herself after the first cuddle attempt. No sexual contact. Of course, a BP can never TRULY know. But I have my reasons to believe this is the series of events. Including talking to the AP myself. Anyway, DDay and the subsequent couple weeks, were the most painful of my life. By far. And I've been though some shit. But we loved each other and chose to reconcile.
And we did! Years later, we even got married. We have such a healthy marriage, I feel so lucky. There is a lot of trust between us. I literally don't worry about her cheating again. Once I woke up in a sweat, dreaming about her cheating. But then I went back to sleep because reality hit me, and I was like "wait she would literally never do that (again)," and I went back to sleep. The key to this level of recovery was definitely her starting to heal from her trauma and not let it drive her actions. Besides the topic of trust, it's just an amazing relationship. Theres so much affection and support. We'd do anything for each other, and we show it all the time. The sex has also gotten better as we go deeper into the relationship. Sex is a very emotionally intertwined thing for us. For me, the improvement of our sex life has been directly related to our bond strengthening.
The point I'm trying to make, is that we're recovered. We are in a genuinely happy marriage, and the trust has been built PAST where it was before it was broken. I feel almost like we're an ideal story of reconciliation. Almost!
The problem I'm facing is that it still hurts. I don't worry that it'll happen again. But what HAS happened, hurts like hell. I was abandoned by my parents as a baby, and lots of experiences past that in life has severely damaged me and likely are the reason I developed BPD. The abandonment of feeling betrayed by my now wife, similarly sticks to me. I feel like it's a mark on me I will never wash off. When I look at my wife now, I don't even see the same person that hurt me back then. But the hurt still happened. It just hurts my heart. I don't know how to cope with how I've developed, because of all the abandonment and betrayal in my life. I have such an intense fear of abandonment, and it comes out in horrible ways. Basically if you just do a little research about BPD, that's just what my life is. It's incredibly painful, and it sucks that my wife who is NOW the best version of herself, contributed to me being damaged in this way.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that cheating fucking sucks. Because you can rebuild the trust, rebuild the relationship, but you can't undo what is done. That's the part I'm struggling with.

AuPair now since 2019, started in England and went then over to Ireland 2020. Let’s say I had great experiences, and very shitty ones. I went from getting used & treated like a slave to getting treated like another daughter.
My last HF was horrible- 4 kids, youngest was a baby 6 months old. Other three kids were between 5&8. HP were never home both worked full time, HM always wanted to make sure I stay home. Example I say I need to walk down to the pharmacy to get something, she wants to know what and go and gets it for me even tho it was something I had to pick up in person. Payment was class for the fact that i was supposed to do nothing with the kids, literally “nothing” i was more a cleaner, cause all the time I tried she said it’s not really worth it. Well I went over there more as an emergency change, which almost killed me mentally, since the family I worked before that kicked me out after working with them for 9 months, never had an issue but after they got married the HM changed drastically. Didn’t pay me for three weeks, and didn’t let me close to the kids. I tried talking to her after her honeymoon but she was literally hiding at her husband work so I wouldn’t come and talk to her. Shushed me when I was talking to the kids - kiddos even started crying in front of her for me so much about that. Anyway- I met my boyfriend here almost two years ago so I said my current HF is the last one. Single mother of three. She has crazy work hours told me about that and said that I have mostly Sundays off and that she will make sure I have enough time to see my boyfriend at least once a week. I was fine with that and even agreed on every two weeks, but this women is making my life a living shit show. In the first month everything worked out great, but now every time I have a day off there another work day after and then again a day off which makes visiting my boyfriend very hard if the grandma is not covering work for me. Next thing- She said they are living in a little village, which was also more then fine with me cause I love the peace and quiet, she didn’t mention that if the bus is not coming regularly that I need a lift to get into town- that’s not even what annoys me the most. She mentioned that she has a boyfriend, and that she would love to spend a bit more time with him and i was also more then okey with that and felt very bad for her cause she’s on her own. Little did I know what I was agreeing on. What was once a “can I go see my boyfriend after work and stay over there and you get the kids ready in the morning for school and I be straight home after work the next day-“ turned now into it happening at least 3-4 times a week and she doesn’t even ask me anymore, she just writes it down in the schedule and that’s it. Like I get that you have your own life but seriously I’m not a stepmother. To be fair I only work from 2-8 when she’s home, but if she’s not home, I have so much work. I have the kids during the day, and over night. I get loads of other extra work from her for in the morning, even tho she’s not paying me for that time as I’m not with the kids. Example - two weeks ago she stayed home from work cause she thought the house was very dirty. She send me a list of at least 14 things which she wanted to get done so I offered my help for the “kids related” things. In the end of the day I cleaned from 8:30 in the morning till 5 while she was in the garden painting a little kids house and kiddo chairs, which would have taken at least an hour max two if not less. She’s the most selfish person I ever met and I really start to hate her. She always buys me stuff, to cover up the fact that she is using me. She’s going now in a week on a four day holiday with her boyfriend while I have the kids for those days which include two weekends days, then she goes to work for four days and goes then on a holiday with the kids for a week. I would have loved to book a holiday but she’s underpaying me so bad that I can’t do anything and looking for babysitter jobs is impossible with her schedule and her private life. I’m about to get my own life sorted, and told her about that so I can’t wait for September. Thanks.