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The Indie Game Culture Chronicles

Indie Quick Scopes, Patreon News, and The Era of Scaling Back
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Hey, Indie Game Fans!
We are back again with a new Indie Newsletter letting you know what’s going on in the world of IGC.
Cards on the table folks, gaming content at the minute is a tough place to be, and just in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been sailing this ship all on my own for a while now.
It’s been a lonely place to be, but what’s gotten me through this time has been you guys, your support of our articles, videos, and other content, and the fact that when I strip it all back, I still get to be here playing indie games and sharing my experiences with you.
Not to get all soppy on you, but the fact that you guys keep engaging with our stuff, giving your opinions and being fans of the work truly is uplifting, and I hope that this newsletter slowly becomes the highlight of your week as we try to prune some dead leaves and grow once again.
But enough of all that. Let’s talk indie games, and take a look at what I have cooking for you this week on IGC!

Our Summerhouse Review – Giving My Head a Holiday

This week our review takes us to the pixel paradise of Summerhouse. Here’s what I made of it!
Summerhouse Review - Giving My Head a Holiday
“Overall, I have to say that despite the fact that the gameplay that makes this game a game is pretty much non-existent, I came away from Summerhouse having had a pretty pleasant experience. Being given the tools to create a Summer Vacation spot in my own image was a very cathartic and relaxing venture, and thanks to the cute visuals, calming background music, and soothing ambient sound, it really felt like, for those couple of hours, I sat down with this one, that I had actually taken myself on a little mental holiday...”
https://indiegameculture.com/reviews/summerhouse-review/
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New Youtube Feature - Indie Quick Scopes

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Are you someone who just wants a quick review for a new and trending game without all of the fluff? Well,180-second then you might get a kick out of our new 180-seconds or less review series ‘Indie Quick Scopes’
We began this series with three new reviews this week on Balatro, Pacific Drive, and Summerhouse.
So if you prefer a quick and concise review, this may be something you want to check out and keep up to date with!

New Article Alert - We Are In The Era of Scaling Back

Here’s a new opinion piece straight from my noggin on the era of gaming we are fast approaching.
The bubble is about to burst on AAA games with budgets so huge that even commercially successful games can’t recoup on spending, and daily Steam releases reaching an all-time high.
So this is an article where I look into my crystal ball and try to figure out what lies in the future for developers and consumers within the gaming industry.
We’re Entering The Era of Scaling Back
“…And this is something I want to talk about today, because I think it’s a question that many AAA developers haven’t had to ask themselves this question for a long time now. And we may be approaching the Era of Scaling Back within gaming…”
https://indiegameculture.com/indie-culture/were-entering-the-era-of-scaling-back/
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Sign Up For The New Patreon - Be A Good Egg!

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Click here to visit the Patreon!
This week we also launched our new Patreon, where we give you the option to sign up for Early Access Content, Exclusive Content, or to just sign up for a dollar and support us as we try to give indie games the spotlight they deserve.
At the moment, you can sign up at any tier and gain early access to our video ‘13 Indie Game Horror Gems You Need to Play’ earlier than anyone else. I mean, what can you honestly spend a dollar on these days that’s better value than that?
Plus, those that sign up for the exclusive tier will also get an exclusive podcast from me, one exclusive Indie Quick Scope per month, and at least one unique piece of content only for Patreon users!
It’s going to be a slow burn in the beginning, as I am just one smol boi trying to make a difference, but if you want to help me do that, then be sure to sign up.
Plus, even if you don’t want to pay, sign up as a free member and you can keep track of what’s on there just in case you change your mind.

What Do You Want From IGC?

As you may know, Cal is the only staff member currently working for IGC. This means that it's a one-man band, and time is precious.
We can only do so much here, and we want to know where to spend our time to please you, our most dedicated fans.
So here are some common content types we tend to lean on here at IGC, what do you want to see more of?

What Do You Want From IGC?

More Reviews
More Youtube Videos
More Guides and Lists
More Podcasts
More Streams
More Opinion Pieces
And so, that wraps things up for another week. As mentioned, I remain in high spirits that we together can turn this little Indie collective into a thriving community of gaming aficionados and make this a haven for anyone that enjoys the little guys in gaming.
If you want to have a chat with me, be sure to visit the IGC discord, or feel free to reach out to me at [Contact@indiegameculture.com](mailto:Contact@indiegameculture.com)
You’re a great bunch, and I can’t wait to get you know what’s going on next week. Stay safe, watch the roads!
Cal
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Want more indie game content? Of course, you do; who wouldn't?
Well, we have a whole ton of it stashed away on Indie Game Culture, where you can stay up to date with everything and anything that's important in the indie game space.
Get more Indie Game Culture here!

Hiya, fellow ADHDers
I’m on dex myself. I’m 27 and from the UK. I’ll try to make this as short as possible, lol as I know what our attention span can be like. I just wanted to share my experience with different generic brands.
Just to state, I’m in no way a doctor or somebody with medical knowledge. I’ve just been doing some research over the past couple of weeks on Reddit itself and also online and then comparing it to my own experience.
I’m not normally one to comment or make a thread. I just like to sit back and read threads, but I just wanted to make this comment, just in case anybody else is in the same boat and feels a bit lost.
So I’m practically I think I’m at the end of titration with my psychiatrist. I’m currently taking 15 mg in the morning followed by 10mg at 12pm, then another 10mg at around 4pm, so I take x3 doses a day.
I’m gonna ask about upping it to 15mg for the other two doses as I’m finding the later doses are not as effective as the morning dose.
For me, I think 15mg is the sweet spot - there’s not any nasty side-effects. I have good concentration, but I can still pull away from a task if I have to, but we’re all wired differently.
I was originally on the brand called Teva, then last month got given Amfexa, but am now going back to Teva from Friday (Tomorrow).
So here’s my findings with different brands of the drug…
Like I said above, for the past month, instead of Teva (in my opinion a good brand) I’ve been given Amfexa instead. If I’m being honest, it might not affect some people but it does have different fillers and binders compared to Teva and Waymade and that will affect how your body absorbs it and the effects it produces.
So maybe I’m just slightly more sensitive to how Amfexa works or the change from one to the other. Personally, amfexa feels more abrupt when it kicks in and not a smooth as Teva, and in my experience it feels like it doesn’t last as long either, (I could be wrong) which can be good or bad, it depends on which way you look at it.
Don’t get me wrong it works ok-ish, but it’s given me different, worse side-effects than Teva.
I find amfexa gives me slightly racey, anxious thoughts and I’m not a very anxious person at all, I’m super laid back in fact. (Seem to forget my problems within 5 mins haha) So with my job I do worry from time to time about finishing projects and getting work completed to the timescale, but never to the point where it bothers me that much. But I find when on Amfexa it worsens it, on Teva I didn’t have this.
I’ve actually played round with the dose (not advised but not gone over an amount that is in titration) by taking less or more and it hasn’t got rid of the side effects, so, comparing it to Teva, in black and white terms for me I think it’s a pile of crap haha.
Anyway, I find that with Teva medication in general (not Amfexa) it relaxes me mentally all throughout the day but also gives me the drive to be ready to get up and do anything.
I found that with Amfexa, it has also actually increased my heart rate compared to Teva.
For reference, my diet is fairly healthy, I take extra magnesium as that really helps the medication, and I also have high protein meals which help it to work too. I don’t have any circulation problems but I know stimulant medication can cause changes in blood flow so I’ve been taking beetroot supplement tablets alongside zinc and iron (spacing the intake of iron and zinc out) to help combat this.
I’ve also been taking l-theanine, an amino acid that generally helps you to feel relaxed as before medication struggled to settle for the night.
Also if anyone would like I can link to other Reddit threads of other people who have experienced stuff with Amfexa?, and also the same with me re the anxious thoughts.
Also there was a test done in the Netherlands I believe, where a lot of people complained about the brand after being switched to Amfexa, and also it hasn’t had amazing reviews on drugs.com.(Can post them on here too if any interest?).
I’ve actually got some more Teva coming tomorrow (Friday). so happy to comment again to show my findings when going back on Teva.
I had to chat with my psychiatrist about the different brands. I don’t think he was fully understanding what I was trying to get at when speaking to him, as I specifically said that I feel like I get on better with Teva as it’s more subtle with the effects so I specifically asked him for Teva.
(I’m pretty sure he just went along with it but didn’t necessarily disagree with what I was saying.) but he did mention again they have different binders and fillers so I think he was open to me specifically having these again.
If you were thinking of switching brands, obviously your health comes first, but I would just be careful about how you word it to your psychiatrist as they might not have been around for too long in the game and might think that all the dex brands are the same. Oh and probably don’t mention you’ve been on Reddit getting lost in a wormhole of people’s experiences - I don’t think the psychiatrist would take you seriously if you tried backing up your points from Reddit lol.
I’m not trying to plant anything in anyone’s head or slag off the brand. It’s just something I know doesn’t work for me. I just wanted to make people aware of it if they’ve been in a similar situation and thinking why aren’t they getting on with their medication anymore.
Again, this is my personal opinion and experience. I’m not a healthcare professional. But I just thought this would help.
Cheers ears 👂😝
Links Amfexa side effects some in comments: https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/Eelo425u1d
Similar experiences but with Adderall American adhd med: https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/AsF1mBm351
Teva vs others : https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/JdLu3NCzBr
Teva and Amfexa : https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/oSLdmdQ5nP
General talk about other brands : https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/ze90lxeIFm
Threads about trying other generics: https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/hw8n8Ohi9R
Experiences with Amfexa : https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/fZvZZq20CO
Amfexa and Teva https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/fzqdxxRd3E
Amfexa top ups https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/8AODBsZtDS
https://databankws.lareb.nl/Downloads/Signals_2019_ADRs_switch_compounded-dexamfetamine_Amfexa.pdf
https://databankws.lareb.nl/Downloads/Signals_2021_ADRs_switch_compounded_dexamfetamine_Amfexa_update.pdf

Hiya, fellow ADHDers
I’m on dex myself. I’m 27 and from the UK. I’ll try to make this as short as possible, lol as I know what our attention span can be like. I just wanted to share my experience with different generic brands.
Just to state, I’m in no way a doctor or somebody with medical knowledge. I’ve just been doing some research over the past couple of weeks on Reddit itself and also online and then comparing it to my own experience.
I’m not normally one to comment or make a thread. I just like to sit back and read threads, but I just wanted to make this comment, just in case anybody else is in the same boat and feels a bit lost.
So I’m practically I think I’m at the end of titration with my psychiatrist. I’m currently taking 15 mg in the morning followed by 10mg at 12pm, then another 10mg at around 4pm, so I take x3 doses a day.
I’m gonna ask about upping it to 15mg for the other two doses as I’m finding the later doses are not as effective as the morning dose.
For me, I think 15mg is the sweet spot - there’s not any nasty side-effects. I have good concentration, but I can still pull away from a task if I have to, but we’re all wired differently.
I was originally on the brand called Teva, then last month got given Amfexa, but am now going back to Teva from Friday (Tomorrow).
So here’s my findings with different brands of the drug…
Like I said above, for the past month, instead of Teva (in my opinion a good brand) I’ve been given Amfexa instead. If I’m being honest, it might not affect some people but it does have different fillers and binders compared to Teva and Waymade and that will affect how your body absorbs it and the effects it produces.
So maybe I’m just slightly more sensitive to how Amfexa works or the change from one to the other. Personally, amfexa feels more abrupt when it kicks in and not a smooth as Teva, and in my experience it feels like it doesn’t last as long either, (I could be wrong) which can be good or bad, it depends on which way you look at it.
Don’t get me wrong it works ok-ish, but it’s given me different, worse side-effects than Teva.
I find amfexa gives me slightly racey, anxious thoughts and I’m not a very anxious person at all, I’m super laid back in fact. (Seem to forget my problems within 5 mins haha) So with my job I do worry from time to time about finishing projects and getting work completed to the timescale, but never to the point where it bothers me that much. But I find when on Amfexa it worsens it, on Teva I didn’t have this.
I’ve actually played round with the dose (not advised but not gone over an amount that is in titration) by taking less or more and it hasn’t got rid of the side effects, so, comparing it to Teva, in black and white terms for me I think it’s a pile of crap haha.
Anyway, I find that with Teva medication in general (not Amfexa) it relaxes me mentally all throughout the day but also gives me the drive to be ready to get up and do anything.
I found that with Amfexa, it has also actually increased my heart rate compared to Teva.
For reference, my diet is fairly healthy, I take extra magnesium as that really helps the medication, and I also have high protein meals which help it to work too. I don’t have any circulation problems but I know stimulant medication can cause changes in blood flow so I’ve been taking beetroot supplement tablets alongside zinc and iron (spacing the intake of iron and zinc out) to help combat this.
I’ve also been taking l-theanine, an amino acid that generally helps you to feel relaxed as before medication struggled to settle for the night.
Also if anyone would like I can link to other Reddit threads of other people who have experienced stuff with Amfexa?, and also the same with me re the anxious thoughts.
Also there was a test done in the Netherlands I believe, where a lot of people complained about the brand after being switched to Amfexa, and also it hasn’t had amazing reviews on drugs.com.(Can post them on here too if any interest?).
I’ve actually got some more Teva coming tomorrow (Friday). so happy to comment again to show my findings when going back on Teva.
I had to chat with my psychiatrist about the different brands. I don’t think he was fully understanding what I was trying to get at when speaking to him, as I specifically said that I feel like I get on better with Teva as it’s more subtle with the effects so I specifically asked him for Teva.
(I’m pretty sure he just went along with it but didn’t necessarily disagree with what I was saying.) but he did mention again they have different binders and fillers so I think he was open to me specifically having these again.
If you were thinking of switching brands, obviously your health comes first, but I would just be careful about how you word it to your psychiatrist as they might not have been around for too long in the game and might think that all the dex brands are the same. Oh and probably don’t mention you’ve been on Reddit getting lost in a wormhole of people’s experiences - I don’t think the psychiatrist would take you seriously if you tried backing up your points from Reddit lol.
I’m not trying to plant anything in anyone’s head or slag off the brand. It’s just something I know doesn’t work for me. I just wanted to make people aware of it if they’ve been in a similar situation and thinking why aren’t they getting on with their medication anymore.
Again, this is my personal opinion and experience. I’m not a healthcare professional. But I just thought this would help.
Cheers ears 👂😝
Links Amfexa side effects some in comments: https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/Eelo425u1d
Similar experiences but with Adderall American adhd med: https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/AsF1mBm351
Teva vs others : https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/JdLu3NCzBr
Teva and Amfexa : https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/oSLdmdQ5nP
General talk about other brands : https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/ze90lxeIFm
Threads about trying other generics: https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/hw8n8Ohi9R
Experiences with Amfexa : https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/fZvZZq20CO
Amfexa and Teva https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/fzqdxxRd3E
Amfexa top ups https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/8AODBsZtDS
https://databankws.lareb.nl/Downloads/Signals_2019_ADRs_switch_compounded-dexamfetamine_Amfexa.pdf
https://databankws.lareb.nl/Downloads/Signals_2021_ADRs_switch_compounded_dexamfetamine_Amfexa_update.pdf

Hiya, fellow ADHDers
I’m on dex myself. I’m 27 and from the UK. I’ll try to make this as short as possible, lol as I know what our attention span can be like. I just wanted to share my experience with different generic brands.
Just to state, I’m in no way a doctor or somebody with medical knowledge. I’ve just been doing some research over the past couple of weeks on Reddit itself and also online and then comparing it to my own experience.
I’m not normally one to comment or make a thread. I just like to sit back and read threads, but I just wanted to make this comment, just in case anybody else is in the same boat and feels a bit lost.
So I’m practically I think I’m at the end of titration with my psychiatrist. I’m currently taking 15 mg in the morning followed by 10mg at 12pm, then another 10mg at around 4pm, so I take x3 doses a day.
I’m gonna ask about upping it to 15mg for the other two doses as I’m finding the later doses are not as effective as the morning dose.
For me, I think 15mg is the sweet spot - there’s not any nasty side-effects. I have good concentration, but I can still pull away from a task if I have to, but we’re all wired differently.
I was originally on the brand called Teva, then last month got given Amfexa, but am now going back to Teva from Friday (Tomorrow).
So here’s my findings with different brands of the drug…
Like I said above, for the past month, instead of Teva (in my opinion a good brand) I’ve been given Amfexa instead. If I’m being honest, it might not affect some people but it does have different fillers and binders compared to Teva and Waymade and that will affect how your body absorbs it and the effects it produces.
So maybe I’m just slightly more sensitive to how Amfexa works or the change from one to the other. Personally, amfexa feels more abrupt when it kicks in and not a smooth as Teva, and in my experience it feels like it doesn’t last as long either, (I could be wrong) which can be good or bad, it depends on which way you look at it.
Don’t get me wrong it works ok-ish, but it’s given me different, worse side-effects than Teva.
I find amfexa gives me slightly racey, anxious thoughts and I’m not a very anxious person at all, I’m super laid back in fact. (Seem to forget my problems within 5 mins haha) So with my job I do worry from time to time about finishing projects and getting work completed to the timescale, but never to the point where it bothers me that much. But I find when on Amfexa it worsens it, on Teva I didn’t have this.
I’ve actually played round with the dose (not advised but not gone over an amount that is in titration) by taking less or more and it hasn’t got rid of the side effects, so, comparing it to Teva, in black and white terms for me I think it’s a pile of crap haha.
Anyway, I find that with Teva medication in general (not Amfexa) it relaxes me mentally all throughout the day but also gives me the drive to be ready to get up and do anything.
I found that with Amfexa, it has also actually increased my heart rate compared to Teva.
For reference, my diet is fairly healthy, I take extra magnesium as that really helps the medication, and I also have high protein meals which help it to work too. I don’t have any circulation problems but I know stimulant medication can cause changes in blood flow so I’ve been taking beetroot supplement tablets alongside zinc and iron (spacing the intake of iron and zinc out) to help combat this.
I’ve also been taking l-theanine, an amino acid that generally helps you to feel relaxed as before medication struggled to settle for the night.
Also if anyone would like I can link to other Reddit threads of other people who have experienced stuff with Amfexa?, and also the same with me re the anxious thoughts.
Also there was a test done in the Netherlands I believe, where a lot of people complained about the brand after being switched to Amfexa, and also it hasn’t had amazing reviews on drugs.com.(Can post them on here too if any interest?).
I’ve actually got some more Teva coming tomorrow (Friday). so happy to comment again to show my findings when going back on Teva.
I had to chat with my psychiatrist about the different brands. I don’t think he was fully understanding what I was trying to get at when speaking to him, as I specifically said that I feel like I get on better with Teva as it’s more subtle with the effects so I specifically asked him for Teva.
(I’m pretty sure he just went along with it but didn’t necessarily disagree with what I was saying.) but he did mention again they have different binders and fillers so I think he was open to me specifically having these again.
If you were thinking of switching brands, obviously your health comes first, but I would just be careful about how you word it to your psychiatrist as they might not have been around for too long in the game and might think that all the dex brands are the same. Oh and probably don’t mention you’ve been on Reddit getting lost in a wormhole of people’s experiences - I don’t think the psychiatrist would take you seriously if you tried backing up your points from Reddit lol.
I’m not trying to plant anything in anyone’s head or slag off the brand. It’s just something I know doesn’t work for me. I just wanted to make people aware of it if they’ve been in a similar situation and thinking why aren’t they getting on with their medication anymore.
Again, this is my personal opinion and experience. I’m not a healthcare professional. But I just thought this would help.
Cheers ears 👂😝
Links Amfexa side effects some in comments: https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/Eelo425u1d
Similar experiences but with Adderall American adhd med: https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/AsF1mBm351
Teva vs others : https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/JdLu3NCzBr
Teva and Amfexa : https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/oSLdmdQ5nP
General talk about other brands : https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/ze90lxeIFm
Threads about trying other generics: https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/hw8n8Ohi9R
Experiences with Amfexa : https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/fZvZZq20CO
Amfexa and Teva https://www.reddit.com/ADHD/s/fzqdxxRd3E
Amfexa top ups https://www.reddit.com/ADHDUK/s/8AODBsZtDS
https://databankws.lareb.nl/Downloads/Signals_2019_ADRs_switch_compounded-dexamfetamine_Amfexa.pdf
https://databankws.lareb.nl/Downloads/Signals_2021_ADRs_switch_compounded_dexamfetamine_Amfexa_update.pdf

Ok to start I just wanna say 1) I AM NOT LOOKING FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. Any reference to my medical conditions is not me asking, it is simply me explaining what I've been dealing with. 2) I'm not trying to look for a referral BUT I am going to be up front that I am based in Massachusetts. We apparently have a pretty severe lack of FM doctors in the state, so it feels like I won't be able to see one even if I were to get over my fear.
BACKGROUND:
- Been anxious all my life, terrible childhood, etc. However I was mostly physically healthy until the last few years.
- In 2020, I got my first flare up of hidradenitis supperativa, HS. It was a boil in my groin region that I brushed off, I didn't know what it was. It came back every 8 or 9 months or so, until this past year when it suddenly got way way worse and I learned what it was.
- In 2022, I graduated college and moved back home with my parents, which is a source of extreme misery for me. I started becoming nocturnal. Suddenly I was going to bed at 8 am and waking up at 6. I felt awful all the time, tired, irritable, confused. Then, my period stopped for 3 months! I was not pregnant. I started taking a women's multivitamin and my period returned but I didn't feel much better. After the death of a loved one I began having heart palpitations and near constant panic attacks, heading into 2023.
- In March of 2023, I had a panic attack over some chest pains that I'd felt before (that ended up being rib inflammation). I for some insane reason thought I cut my esophagus eating a corn chip, lmfao. Yep. I went to my standard doctor, and he immediately prescribed me a PPI. I didn't know what they were. I was pressured by this doctor to take them, too long of a story to get into here. So I took 3 pills of the PPI, and thus began the worst hellish nightmare of my life. I immediately got severe acid reflux which I'd never experienced in my life before, my tongue got white and I developed thrush, I had earaches from the acid, etc. I couldn't even drink water. My #2 situation was abysmal. It took weeks to stabilize, but after that I became very constipated and haven't been right since.
- April 2023 I had an endoscopy and the GI doc said everything looked good, but she also laughed at me when I told her omeprazole did this to me. She joked at my expense in front of other patients and even when I was going under for my endoscopy. As such, i don't trust some of her results of the endoscopy. She claimed I had no candida overgrowth and no H Pylori, "because she would have seen it". SO no, I don't trust her. The blood test from the endoscopy showed I had severe vitamin D deficiency when I got checked a few days after taking the omeprazole. I suspect I had this for quite some time given how awful I felt for about a year. I HAD been taking a multivitamin on and off but it didn't seem to be working. I started taking vit D3.
- In May 2023, I got a SIBO test. It was positive. It showed mixed methane and hydrogen. My GI doctor didn't know how to interpret the results, told me I'd need antibiotics "for the rest of your life", said she'd call me back "in a week" with the info on when to pick up my prescription of xifaxan. That was EIGHT MONTHS AGO, and no word from her since. Which honestly is probably a good thing given what a terrible doctor she is.
- In July, I decided to get my blood tested from an external lab since my doctor wouldn't do it. My vitamin B levels were at 49.5 ng/mL when the range is 2.1-21.7 ng/mL. My calcium was high too. I later learned this was from taking vitamin D without K2, causing calcium buildup in my blood. I have since switched. The B vitamins... I still don't really know what the heck was happening there. I immediately stopped taking my multivitamin with B in it. I was able to get my doctor to check my levels in August and they had dropped a bit.
It's been almost a year since I took those 3 PPI pills and I haven't felt good a single day since. If I thought I felt bad before, I learned a whole new meaning.
- I now have constant constipation and gas buildup basically no matter what I eat. Even when I went low fodmap, even when I went gluten free, even when I went "refined carb" free and only ate fish and eggs and cheese, it was awful. Ironically I feel best when I eat carbs, like I get an INSTANT mood an energy boost, but this might be resulting in a SIFO/fungal situation that ultimately makes me worse in the long run.
- My HS is far worse, I have scarring, tracts, tunneling, everything. I went from 1 to 4 boils in the span of 2 months. It always gets worse the week before my period so maybe it's hormonal who knows.
- Like most chronically ill women, I have a lot of symptoms of hashimotos. My TSH was 2 as of July, and I don't have an enlarged neck so I guess that's not it. My doctor said testing beyond the TSH is a waste of time and money.
- My scalp itches and hurts, my hair is thin, dry, and falling out. My skin is red and dry and itchy, my eyes are CONSTANTLY dry and stinging, my lips are constantly cracked and peeling no matter what I do... I'm afraid to take more vitamins because of the fact that I was close to toxicity from B vitamins. I take D with K2 and that's it.
- I have permanent dark circles under my eyes, I feel tired, and although I WAS doing better with sleep, I for whatever reason am back to going to bed at 8 and waking up at 6 or even 7 pm. I cry every day. I have a panic attack every day. I feel sick and uncomfortable every day.
- My heart palpitations (skipped beats) are SO MUCH WORSE. I get a woozy feeling every time I get one.
- I feel extremely unhealthy and it's terrifying as I was only 24 when this happened. I worry that my whole life has been taken from me.
Most of all, I'm just confused how this happens. I have to believe there was something already wrong with me, some health issue that I didn't know about, that caused me to get this messed up this fast. I would love it if a doctor would work with me to figure this out.
I can stay with traditional medicine: which would involve trying to get xifaxan (it isn't covered by my insurance) and accept the fact that I'll need to take it every 2 months for the rest of my life... which, $2,000 every 2 months is not sustainable. Even IF I don't take it every 2 months, I'm wary of taking another drug that these doctors push at me. Put simply, I don't trust them, I hate them, they ruined my life. I explained this to my primary care and she said my options were to take the antibiotics or accept that I'd be miserable forever. She said refusing the abx is my choice and that all she can do is hope that I'm as comfortable as possible, because I will never get better. She believes the ONLY way to treat this is with abx.
Or, I can: spend 10k on a FM doctor in the hopes that they help me figure out the root cause of all these issues. But I'm afraid to take pretty much anything I don't already take or eat. I'm afraid of food, I'm even afraid to take my vitamins. Everything I put into my mouth brings me back to that horrible day when I stupidly trusted that doctor and took that PPI pill. I'm worried I'll get made worse by horrible unsafe non-FDA approved scam treatments that cause irreparable damage to me. I'm worried that not only will I end up broke, but I'll have been made worse, and there will be no accountability because "you knew the risks".
There are no real FM doctors in MA as far as I know, I checked the IFM site and some pop up, but basically none of them are actual doctors, and of those that ARE doctors, none of them specialize in SIBO/H Pylori and they all just seem... I dont know. I want to trust them but I feel like I just don't... there's something scammy about them, and I can't tell if that's just my bias seeping in.
The best one I could find, 3 hours away, charges $1000 for A CONSULT. That's 1/10th of all of the money I have! So even if I took a chance and tried trusting one of these people, I'm out a grand after finding out we aren't a good fit.
At this point I'm just frustrated because I feel like obtaining health is for lucky people and rich people, of which I am neither. And ofc no FM docs take insurance, at least not any good ones in my area. It's frustrating because I want to talk to REAL people who worked with these doctors and spent money on them, but there's no place where I'm allowed to do that. If i post to one of my regional subreddits, the people will just point and laugh at me for considering functional medicine. I can't ask here because that's against the rules. So I'm just frustrated.

TLDR

My health started worsening in 2022, mostly consisting of debilitating panic attacks, heart palpitations, itching, inflammation, missed periods, terrible sleep, etc. In March 2023, After taking 3 doses of a PPI for a non-GI issue, I developed SIBO (mixed hydrogen methane). And now everything is SO SO MUCH WORSE. It's been like this for almost a year. My GI doc told me I would be on xifaxan every 2 months for the rest of my life. I don't want to and can't afford xifaxan. I WANT TO LIVE AND BE HEALTHY AGAIN. And I want to know WHY I got SIBO, what was going on with me even before that (I had already developed hidradenitis supperativa and inflammatory issues before SIBO). I can't help but feel like there's some overarching issue going on here and if I just get to the root cause I MIGHT have a chance of being okay. My vitamin levels are all out of whack, I bet my minerals are out of whack too. My hair is falling out, teeth aren't in good shape, I'm itchy and my face is red. I've lost 20-30 lbs and now hang out on brink of being underweight. None of my doctors even seem to care when I explain how I feel. The GI doc is happy to have me taking drugs every 2 months, my primary care basically told me to take the drugs or shut up... Idk.
So, I mean, on one hand, I feel like I have nothing left to lose and I should really see a functional/integrative medicine doctor. On the other hand, I'm just desperate enough and weak enough that someone could really take advantage of me, and I'm scared of that. I've already BEEN taken advantage of and I only have that 10k. Once that's gone, that's it.
I wish there was a place where I could ask REAL PEOPLE their experiences about FM doctors in my state, but there isn't. I know I need to start treating these health issues because they're making me suicidal. But I can't seem to get over my fear of getting hurt again.

I have an IFM PLC and touchscreen display talking to each other across Ethernet via a network variable send / receive list. I’m familiar with using wireshark to capture packets and view transmission rate (ie. kilobits/second. Forgive me if phrasing is poor, I’m self-taught here).
Say I want to be fancy and show the Ethernet transmission rate on my HMI. Are there good libraries to help me out here, or is my best bet digging into the NVL lists and manually calculating kbps?

TLDR at the bottom.
So I came out to dad this year in an argument and he said he kind of suspected but I told my friends that he seemed... Uncomfortable with it or was trying not to say anything. He has in the past expressed a lot of discomfort or homophobia and even just... Well you get the picture.
I dress casual as our workplace allows it, but I'm still obviously a woman, I just have short hair.
Well almost 3 months ago, I got clippers and I did my hair myself. I messed up by misjudging how short and inch was (my bad) and had to shorten the sides by a guard to even things out a bit. The next morning dad wasn't impressed and told me that it was his opinion, but he felt it didn't suit me. I mentioned what happened but that hair grows back and I ordered longer guards for the top for next time and that it would probably look better if I lost more weight. I started wearing a hat at work/ public until the top grew out but I kept wearing the hat because I like it.
So yesterday we went to get a pizza for dinner and on the way to the car, he passed me and mumbled something about my hat. I asked him to repeat himself but he wouldn't. So I didn't wear my hat into the pizza shop once we got there. When we got home he mentioned something about the back door and me checking it to which I replied that I went out the door before him, because he passed me and said something about my hat as we headed to the car. Again he said nothing.
Anyway today I come home and park and he parks in front of me and as he's coming inside, I'm taking my stuff off, starting with my hat. He lets out an annoyed sigh and says that we need to get me "better headwear". I got confused and turned to him, asking what was wrong with my hat. That's when he said "You look like a girl who's trying to look like a boy" and that it doesn't suit me.
Oh boy here we go again. I thought we got past this!
Let's pause for some context here. I've never really liked being feminine, I never felt comfortable or like myself. He knows this, hell EVERYONE knows this in our family. I've always been like this! I thought that after I approached my mid 20s that he'd stop with this "not feminine enough/ be more feminine" bullshit. Like FFS!
I have a fauxhawk thats grown out a bit, one I was going to trim the week after next while getting some bath bombs and giving myself a little pamper session rather than do it at night and be unable to wash off the clippings. I have Monday's off so he wouldn't be home and I could do something for myself, it's been months.
I'm trying to get a better job so I can move out and get my own place because I can't afford to rent, and I'm in one of the cheapest parts of Canada! So yeah I'm stuck with my dad at 30 and that's the short story.
Oh and the hat? I've had it for almost 6 MONTHS. I always take it off when I come home and before I cut my hair myself then started to enjoy my hat, I'd take it off as soon as I got to work. So this is the first 2 times he's had an issue with it. It's a black snapback with the Destiny/Destiny 2 class coat of arms on it in white.
Back to my rant...
So he changes the topic and brings up the hair salon I went to. I couldn't get a hold of them in Septembe the first week of October, but apparently they changed their hours and are still open. Dad went to get his haircut today and found out they're moving soon and their opening date.
He gave me a card with everything -he asked if the name on the card was who did my hair and I said no. During that conversation, I corrected him and said it's where I USED to go and thought they were closed, but it was fine because I'd just cut it myself from now on. He asked me about the woman's name and I let him know but repeated that I'd just cut it myself. He said that they'll reopen sometime in the New Year and I for the third time -and more assertively- said that I'd cut cut my own hair and save money and get it how I want when I want.
This is ANNOYING AS FUCK, and funnily, my coworker and I were just talking about shit like this today so I'm even more annoyed. Like FFS. I'm a butch lesbian, what's his deal. He says he's fine with "gay people" and knows I'm gay, so why ifms he still trying to push me towards being feminine!? I thought we passed that stage!? Like why all of a sudden is he getting pissy about this again?
Tldr: had a hat for almost 6 months and last night dad comments about it, tonight saying that it looks like I'm trying to be a guy. Apparently it doesn't suit me, a comment he made after I cut my hair a bit too short by mistake almost 3 months ago. I'm 30 and can't figure out what his deal is while trying to get a better job so I can move out, so for now I'm stuck living at home.
This pisses me off.

Hey all I'm new to Reddit. I recently left Facebook because I didn't figure those people were my real friends - only two ever checked on me.
I... Am just reaching out because I am so confused how to live life. I want people to be close with but find it exceptionally difficult and the small talk needed to create relationships is draining.
I also have a fear and concerns that when I die .. nothing will change. My partners life (if she's still around will) but that's about it. I don't have a larger network. I am going to school to b ifme a therapist and hope one day maybe I will have people in my life I affect positively but that's if I can even graduate (I'm having a terrible time with statistics in college). Anyway, I didn't know where else to put this and I thought I'd try here.
I used to "people" often ..before my breakdown. I'm pretty sure I've been in a constant state of burnout for the last 10 years.

Now that OWL is presumably finished, I find myself thinking a lot about how the league changed over the years and the different major storylines that came out of the seasons. I want to talk about it all, so you guys get to be subjected to my ramblings (which have now taken me 3 hours to type up lmao).
I'm curious how you all would rank the different grand finals matches and what your reasons are for those rankings. Is it purely an excitement factor? Favorite teams/players winning? Cool storylines? Fun comps to watch? Really good stage / live audience factor?
How about the different seasons? What were your favorite metas and tournaments?
Admittedly it's been a while since I've watched some of the older seasons so I may need a refresher on them, but my initial rankings and reasons are below:

Rankings

Playoffs Ranking:

1. Season 5 (Dallas vs San Francisco)
2. Season 3 (San Francisco vs Seoul)
3. Season 4 (Shanghai vs Atlanta)
4. Season 2 (Vancouver vs San Francisco)
5. Season 1 (Philadelphia vs London)
6. Season 6 (Florida vs Houston)

Season Rankings:

1. Season 2
2. Season 3
3. Season 5
4. Season 4
5. Season 6
6. Season 1

Retrospective

Season 1 / Inaugural Season Playoffs

• Date: Juy 27-28, 2018
• Location: Barclays Center, New York City (live audience)
• Meta(s): Double Sniper, Moth Meta
• Team 1: London Spitfire
• Team 1 Players: birdring, profit, Fury Gesture Closer Bdosin Nus
• Team 1 Winnings: $1,000,00
• Team 2: Philadelphia Fusion
• Team 2 Players: Carpe, ShaDowBur, Eqo, snillo, Hotba, Poko, Sado, Fragi, Boombox, Dayfly, NeptuNo, Joemeister
• Team 2 Winnings: $400,000
• Maps Played: Dorado, Oasis, Eichenwalde, Volskaya Industries
• Outcome: London Won 2-0
• Match MVP: Profit (DPS)
• Season MVP: Jjonak (Support)
• Dennis Hawelka Award: Mickie (Tank)
• Vod: Link (I can’t find a better vod than this, so if anyone has a better one please send it to me!)
• Liquipedia: Link
• Wikipedia: Link

The inaugural season had probably the best grand finals setting and hype. Barclays center was a crazy cool location with a really hyped up crowd. I recall the playoffs tournament being kind of funny because everyone expected New York Excelsior to be the contender to beat, and the setting of NYC felt a bit funny once NYXL was the first to be eliminated in the playoffs. Oh and DJ Khaled at the finals lol! I recall it being exciting that the 5th and 6th seeded teams were the ones that made it to the grand finals. This matchup also brought up an important debate that people had around the time, which was whether it was better to have a large team of many players with many specialties (like Philly), or a tight core of players with maybe one or two subs (like London).
The final match itself wasn’t that exciting, with Philly losing without a single map win. Definitely London’s earlier win of stage 1 was more exciting than this match and is, to me, the most iconic game of season 1.
As for the season as a whole, people generally don’t like moth meta, which lasted for much of this season, and I think people are mostly torn about double sniper and how fun it is as spectators. A lot of the compositions this season were dominated by Mercy, Zen, Winston, D.Va, Widow, and Junkrat due to Mercy’s recent rework and very powerful ultimate.
Given that the major storylines of season 1 were that early expected favorites Dallas Fuel didn’t live up to expectations, 0-40 Shanghai Dragons, and NYXL’s domination of the regular season, having London come on top in the finals felt like a cool surprise at the time (at least to me)!
Season 2 Playoffs

• Date: September 29, 2019
• Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia (live audience)
• Meta(s): GOATs
• Team 1: Vancouver Titans
• Team 1 Players: Haksal, Hooreg, Stitch, SeoMinSoo, JJANU, Bumper, TiZi, Rapel, SLIME, Twilight
• Team 1 Winnings: $600,000
• Team 2: San Francisco Shock
• Team 2 Players: Architect, sinatraa, Rascal, Striker, ChoiHyoBin, Nevix, Super, Smurf, Moth, Viol2t
• Team 2 Winnings: $1,100,000
• Maps Played: Lijiang Tower, Eichenwalde, Temple of Anubis, Watchpoint: Gibraltar
• Outcome: Shock won 4-0
• Match MVP: ChoiHyoBin (Tank)
• Season MVP: Sinatraa (DPS playing Zarya)
• Dennis Hawelka Award: Custa (Support)
• Alarm Rookie of the Year Award: Haksal (DPS)
• Vod: Link
• Liquipedia: Link
• Wikipedia: Link

Season 2’s grand finalists seemed inevitable. San Francisco Shock and Vancouver Titans still have claim to the best rivalry in any season of OWL. While the finals themselves weren’t as exciting as they could have been, with Titans losing without taking a single map, the build up of this rivalry during the season (including the incredible Stage 1 Finals, which I think is perhaps the greatest match of OWL ever played) set the stage for a very hype playoffs. Season 2 is perhaps notorious for the incredibly dominant meta, GOATs, which came about in the pre-season with the introduction of Brigitte to the hero lineup. Add to this the team expansion, bringing in eight new teams: Atlanta Reign, Guangzhou Charge, Hangzhou Spark, Toronto Defiant, Paris Eternal, Washington Justice, Vancouver Titans, and Chengdu Hunters; this all made the league feel so much bigger and more intense than the previous season. In particular, it was so satisfying to hear all the hype (and some criticism) towards the incoming RunAway / Vancouver Titans team, only for them to start the season swinging hard. This team remains my favorite OWL roster ever and I am so incredibly sad how their squad fell apart after this season. Twilight is still one of the best Anas ever, if not the best, Slime is a Lucio God, SeoMinSoo was a quiet force to be reckoned with, Jjanu was the most exciting dVa to watch this season, and Bumper had the best, most bombastic personality and playstyle in the league.
This season is also really well known for the incredible Shanghai Dragons storyline: after going 0-40 in the Inaguaral season, Shanghai Dragons came to season 2 with a purpose. They won their first ever OWL map, and Boston became known as the first team to break the Dragons’ 0-42 losing streak. This was also an incredibly exciting match to watch live and Shanghai’s journey to finally take a stage final in stage 3 versus the Shock is one of the best feel-good victories in OWL history. This remains the best storyline in season 2, outside of the Shock vs Titans rivalry. Also it was crazy fun to watch Chengdu Hunters play their own style (with some success) against the GOATs meta - remember when they nearly won against peak GOATs Titans? (Plus the co-stream for this match is super fun). And more messy matches like Washington v London in stage 1. Plus I think London v Shanghai in the play-ins is still the longest (?) and one of the most intense matches ever.
As for the playoffs themselves… Yeah. 0-4 is not the most exciting series ever. Even though the teams came to the finals with an equal record (1 stage finals win each, 1 regular season victory each, and 11-11 map record), the finals ended up just not as competitive as they should have been. But this season was so jam packed with incredible storylines and excellent matches that, even with a pretty stuck meta, this season was so fun to watch.
Season 3 Playoffs

• Date: October 10, 2020
• Location: Streamed (Online Audience)
• Meta(s): Double Shield, some Genji action
• Team 1: Seoul Dynasty
• Team 1 Players: FITS, ILLICIT, Profit, Michelle, Marve1, Gesture, Toyou, tobi, Creative, Bdosin, SLIME
• Team 1 Winnings: $750,000
• Maps Played: Oasis, King’s Row, Hanamura, Watchpoint: Gibraltar, Busan, Hollywood
• Team 2: San Francisco Shock
• Team 2 Players: Stryker, ANS, Rascal, Ta1yo, super, ChoiHyoBin, smurf, moth, Viol2t, Twilight
• Team 2 Winnings: $1,500,00
• Outcome: Shock won 4-2
• Match MVP: Striker (DPS)
• Season MVP: Fleta (DPS)
• Dennis Hawelka Award: McGravy (Tank)
• Alarm Rookie of the Year Award: Alarm (Support)
• Vod: Link
• Liquipedia: Link
• Wikipedia: Link

This season was the one most impacted by the Covid 19 Pandemic, fundamentally altering the planned future of OWL. All in-person homestand events except a few were canceled. The idea of the league truly being global had to instead revert to a small online world.
Double Shield became the meta once Role Locks and Sigma were introduced around the end of Season 2 of OWL. This season became very shield-focused in terms of playstyle, with really only Rein/Orisa, Sigma/d.Va, Lucio/Bap, Ana, and - later on - Echo.
I recall this season just being messy. Tons of technical issues due to the pandemic and having to move everything online. The splitting up of the league more fully into Eastern and Western teams. The 2-2-2 hero lock finally killed GOATs and isn’t this also the season where the desk would randomly ban certain heroes from being played week to week, to try to shake up a pretty stale meta (Double Shield)?
With that being said, this season had some highly entertaining matches. Boston vs Houston in week 3, aka the Toilet Bowl is the most chaotic and ridiculous match in OWL history and I love that Bren and Sideshow got to cast this one. The May Melee APAC finals between Seoul Dynasty and Shanghai Dragons was also a very excellent and high caliber match, also commentated by Bren and Sideshow. Also it was nice to see Paris v Philly get some time in the spotlight in the SS tournament, and Paris’s growth as a team this entire season is a great watch. Shock v Paris in the summer showdown was also excellent!
When it comes to this playoffs, for whatever reason, this is the playoffs that I remember least. The game was semi close, with a final 4-2 scoreline. I remember being a little surprised that Seoul managed to beat out Shanghai to make it to the grand finals since Seoul hadn’t managed to beat Shanghai once this season. But I remember that losers final better than I remember the grand finals, and I’m not sure if that’s just that match being unmemorable to me or if I have a bad memory. Also, it was kind of a bummer that this season’s playoffs felt very reduced given the need to play online ‘cause of the pandemic.
Season 4 Playoffs

• Date: September 25, 2021
• Location: Streamed (Online Audience)
• Meta(s): ? (this season had much more composition variety than the previous seasons)
• Team 1: Shanghai Dragons
• Team 1 Players: LIP, Fleta, WhoRU, Develop, Fate, Void, LeeJaeGon, Izakaya, Molly
• Team 1 Winnings: $1,500,000
• Maps Played: Ilios, Hanamura, King’s Row, Havana
• Team 2: Atlanta Reign
• Team 2 Players: Edison, Pelican, Kai, Gator, Hawk, Masaa, Ir1s
• Team 2 Winnings: $700,000
• Outcome: Shock won 4-2
• Match MVP: LIP (DPS)
• Season MVP: Leave (DPS)
• Dennis Hawelka Award: Sp9rkle (DPS)
• Alarm Rookie of the Year Award: Pelican (DPS)
• Vod: Link
• Liquipedia: Link
• Wikipedia: Link

This season felt interesting since the ever-dominant Shock of the past couple seasons just weren’t as dominant anymore. Other teams really had the opportunity to shine and grow this season, so I recall it being super exciting to watch previously mediocre teams step up to the plate and succeed.
This season had some really fun regular season Houston matches like Houston vs Shock in the May Melee. Or another toilet bowl match with Spitfire vs Titans
As a longtime fan of the original EnVyUs squad / original Dallas Fuel, it was also exciting to see Dallas to start to do better this season instead of being always on the Fuel Cycle of Misery. Also, the grand finals of the June Joust between Dallas and Shanghai might be the best match of the season and it set up a bit of a rivalry between the two teams that would last the rest of the season.
I remember being pretty shocked (and sorta gleeful, sorry not sorry) at how hard Atlanta crumbled during this finals. They’ve always been a pretty consistently good team, so to see them fumble their grand finals appearance so hard was a bit of a letdown in terms of match excitement. But at the same time, I personally feel like Shanghai was destined to eventually win an OWL season. After their first 0-40 season, it just felt right for them to come full circle to win it all at least once. Atlanta just happened to be the team Shanghai faced when the time came. Also, it wasn’t just that Atlanta crumbled; Shanghai also just looked unbeatable at this point in time. This playoffs also marked the last time we saw 2CP as a game mode. RIP to some of the most intense staggers ever shown on a competitive stage on maps like Hanamura.
Season 5 Playoffs

• Date: November 4, 2022
• Location: Anaheim Convention Center (Live Audience)
• Meta(s): ?Sojourn
• Team 1: San Francisco Shock
• Team 1 Players: Proper, Kilo, s9mm, Striker, Colleague, mikeyy, Viol2t, FiNN
• Team 1 Winnings: $500,000
• Maps Played: Lijiang Tower, King’s Row, Dorado, Esperanca, Oasis, Route 66, Colosseo
• Team 2: Dallas Fuel
• Team 2 Players: Doha, Sp9rk1e, Edison, guriyo, Fearless, Hanbin, ChiYo, Fielder
• Team 2 Winnings: $1,000,000
• Outcome: Dallas won 4-3
• *Match MVP: Fearless (Tank)
• Season MVP:* Proper (DPS)
• Dennis Hawelka Award: Hadi (Tank)
• Alarm Rookie of the Year Award: Proper (DPS)
• Vod: Link
• Liquipedia: Link
• Wikipedia: Link

This season has the best grand finals since season 2 in terms of location and crowd hype (mostly since the previous two had been streamed online). But really, the Anaheim Convention Center was a great location to host the super hype grand finals this year. Also, this year Sojourn was introduced and tbh, I found metas that revolve around Sojourn to be very fast paced and super fun to spectate, so matches just felt exhilarating for much of this year. This season was the first after league legend Super retired, which made the Shock feel different (not necessarily worse). Also, the Fuel really developed into a team of all stars in every role, and Sp9rkle became my personal favorite player to watch which was great. Not to mention watching master Ana players like Fielder and Twilight was excellent the whole season.
This season also had some weird and memorable moments, like the Paris vs Florida Sym TP strat. Incredible matches like Gladiators vs Shock in the Midseason Madness - really the entire Midseason Madness tournament is worth watching. This season also is the first time we really get to see some of the mid-tier teams really start to rise in the ranks, like Florida vs Hangzhou in the Midseason Madness. How about Seoul v Florida in the MM, another excellent match. Or the grand finals of the MM tournament... the regular season tournaments in general this year were great!
As for the playoffs, Shock managed to make it back to the Grand Finals after missing out the previous year, and they put up a really tough fight against Dallas. In terms of competitiveness, this playoffs is easily the most intense out of all the seasons; the teams took it to the final match in a nail biting 3-4 victory for Fuel. This is the first time in this list that the Grand Finals legitimately is on my list of best matches from this season. If you really think about it, most of the playoff matches from previous seasons were relatively boring.
Season 6 Playoffs

• Date: October 1, 2023
• Location: Mattamy Athletic Center, Toronto (Live Audience)
• Meta(s): ? Bastian vs anti-bastian? Sojourn, some JQ
• Team 1: Florida Mayhem
• Team 1 Players: MER1T, Checkmate, WhoRU, Someone, CH0R0NG, Rupal, MAKA
• Team 1 Winnings: $1,000,000
• Maps Played: Antarctic Peninsula, Blizzard World, Suravasa, Esperanca
• Team 2: Houston Outlaws
• Team 2 Players: Happy, Pelican, Fearless, BERNAR, Shu, Viol2t
• Team 2 Winnings: $400,000
• Outcome: Florida Won 4-0
• Match MVP: MER1T (DPS)
• Season MVP: Someone (Tank)
• Dennis Hawelka Award: Someone (Tank)
• Alarm Rookie of the Year Award: Donghak (Tank)
• Vod: Link
• Liquipedia: Link
• Wikipedia: Link

I don’t have as much to say about this season, since it’s the only one where I haven’t seen every match and didn’t watch every match live. Life just got in the way. So maybe my assessment of this season wouldn’t be super fair and I’ll hold off on that.
But I did watch the entire Play-ins and Playoffs tournaments, so I can at least comment on that. I think it was super neat to see teams make it to the final four that hadn’t ever had big success in the league and even cooler that the final two turned out to be two teams who hadn’t had a previous season victory. It also felt nice in a story arc way; silly Florida from the inaugural season has grown into a capable and tough team to beat. Admittedly the finals weren’t particularly interesting, as Houston wasn’t able to take a map off Florida and it wasn’t as interesting as matches that had occurred earlier in the tournament. Florida vs Boston was incredibly fun to watch despite the 3-1 scoreline, and Hangzhou’s two reverse sweeps were the best storyline of this playoffs: Hangzhou vs Atlanta and Hangzhou vs Boston were both bangers.

Other Thoughts:

I find it interesting that a Support player never won Grand Finals MVP and only one season MVP once (Jjonak, season 1). DPS dominated both categories (taking 8 out of 12 possible winners, 7 if you don’t count Sinatraa’s Zarya play in season 2). And main tanks plus Choihyobin took the other 3 MVP spots.
OWL definitely had permanent negative ramifications caused by the pandemic that it could never fully recover from.
While the earlier seasons have more identifiable and iconic metas, the later seasons succeed in generally having more varied meta and faster playstyles which is very entertaining to watch (despite the messines and lower production value of later seasons).
The earlier seasons benefitted from incredible storylines, more supported teams and team social media presence / big personalities.
I will never get over how the RunAway boys were treated by the Vancouver org.
I love that, despite the generally short lifespan of a professional gamer, we got some truly great characters in the league from the beginning to the end. Profit and Fleta are both gods.
Grand finals playoffs are generally not super fun - they suffer from too high expectations - but there are always bangers in every season.
I'm really going to miss OWL.

before getting into the story: 1. i work in one of the biggest tech company’s overseas head office, let’s call it BIG TECH 2. i am an outsourced employee, the company hired me is an internal facility management company, let’s call it IFM
I (24 F) work in Big Tech’s administration dept for 2 months now. The work I do is internal facility management’s cost and security management, ie managing accesses and CCTV.
So, Big Tech decided to relocate one of their offices, and last weekend was “moving weekend”, everyone went helping. The receptionist, Yuki, called me to ensure I opened the right doors (I can remote access them).
Two days ago, my boss, Mitch, asked me to dig thru the CCTVs as Heather, the OG receptionist who is on maternity leave, said Yuki (Heather’s stand in) stole company assets while packing.
I went thru the footage and clipped footage of Yuki stealing. Mitch told me to keep it between us, as he didn’t want to tarnish the name of IFM, which all of us are employed by. So I sent the screenshots to Mitch and called it a day.
The next day, Victoria (also employed by IFM) said that Heather told her what happened and suspected Mitch’s trying to cover up for Yuki, and asked me to reinvestigate.
I reinvestigated, realising that Yuki not only stole cheap office tile carpets, she stole monitors, laptop fans, wifi routers, modems, cables and filing trays with the help of her husband.
I reported back to Victoria and Heather, but word got out. Mitch ordered me to stop investigating, said that Heather’s an asshole and wanted to get rid of Yuki, as she’s afraid that Yuki was going to replace her.
Yuki is lazy and a pick me. She talks behind people’s back and make others do her work. She takes company’s cash for personal use and naps in the store room, we get complaints of her absent from her position.
Due to the severity of the issue, I discussed with Heather, if I should tell Clarice, who is in charge of contracting IFM for Big Tech, and well respected in the dept.
After discussing with Heather today, I decided to tell Clarice and showed her the footage, explaining how Mitch is trying to cover it up. After the meeting, Clarice thanked me and said she’llll talk to Mitch.
I continued my work in the meeting room and decided to leave after an hour. I overheard Clarice and Mitch arguing, feared for my job, I went back in and hid until the coast is cleared.
I came home, told my mom what happened, as I’m afraid that my work would be affected by it. I suffered severe bullying at my last workplace and am diagnosed with anxiety, depression and adhd.
My mom said I’m in the wrong as I went against my boss’s orders and caused a scene, that’s why I can’t keep a job and have to quit because I can’t mind my own business. We got into an altercation and she called me “a sensitive child”.
Now I’m crying and thinking about this situation, I can’t help to think that I am responsible. AITA?

http://iryan.kt7ebwxf1a2
📷이프랜드에서 나만의 공간 이프홈을 만들어보세요!
"ifland - 새로운 메타버스, 이프랜드 꾸미고, 배치하고, 이프랜드의 새로운 서비스인 이프홈에서 나만의 공간을 만들어보세요! 모던하게, 시크하게, 내추럴하게 아니면 아이돌처럼 귀엽게! 나의 이프홈을 꾸밀 수 있어요. 이모티콘을 사용하여 감정표현과 꾸미기가 가능해요. 나를 표현하고 기록을 남겨보세요. 다른 사람이 만든 이프홈도 구경하고 나의 게시물도 친구들에게 자랑해 보세요. 이프홈에서 즐거운 스몰톡도 나눠보세요!
iryan.kr
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요즘 10대 친구들은 오프라인 약속 장소가 아닌 메타버스 메신저에서 만나자고 약속한다고 해요.
그 안에서 가상의 나와 나만의 공간을 꾸며 친한 친구들뿐만 아니라 취미나 관심사가 비슷한 전 세계 사람들과 교류한다고 하는데요.
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저 같은 경우도 10대 때 여러 메신저를 통해 실제 친구가 아닌 가상의 친구들을 만들어 소통하는 재미를 느껴봤기 때문에 요즘 아이들의 이러한 관심사를 이해하는 편이기도 합니다.
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무엇보다 저도 직접 메타버스 메신저에 들어가서 일상의 내가 아닌 힙한 나를 꾸며보기도 하고, 좁은 아파트가 아닌 가상의 큰 집을 꾸며보며 대리만족을 느끼기도 하는데요.
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요즘 떠오르는 메타버스 메신저 이프랜드(ifland) 소개해 드릴게요.
ifland는 SKT에서 만든 메타버스 플랫폼인데요.
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이 안에는 가상의 집인 이프홈(if home)과 가상의 캐릭터(if me) 그리고 다양한 나라의 사람들과 소통할 수 있는 if square도 있답니다.
들어가서 보니 편의점, 대학교, 도시 등 다양한 컨셉의 공간이 있어 여러 가지 성격의 모임이 가능해 왜 사람들이 실제 오프라인 장소가 아닌 이프랜드에서 만나는지 이해할 수 있었어요.
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특히 내 감정을 표현하는 데 있어 이모티콘으로는 확실한 표현이 어려울 때도 있었는데요. 이프미가 내 표정을 따라 해서 메타버스 모임 시 더 재밌게 소통할 수 있더라고요 ㅎㅎ
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이렇게 핫한 이프랜드에서 이번에 새로운 기능으로 이프홈을 선보였는데요 :-)
현실 세계에 내 집은 없지만! 메타버스 메신저 내에서는 아주 으리으리한 집을 만들 수 있답니다.
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해변과 우주, 숲, 도시 중 원하는 곳을 고르고 집 모양도 현대식, 유럽풍, 한옥풍 등 취향에 맞게 선택할 수 있었어요.
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모던한 전원주택은 제가 꿈꾸던 모습이라 바로 골랐고 제가 가장 것들로 가득 채웠답니다 :-)
이렇게 꾸미고 나니까 내 공간을 자랑하고 싶은 마음도 막 생기더라고요?ㅎㅎ
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이렇게 ifland의 if home을 통해 내가 표현하고 싶었던 나만의 공간을 꾸며 다른 사람들과 공유할 수 있는데요.
다른 사람의 이프홈에 놀러 가 게시물을 구경하거나 발자국을 남길 수도 있고, 내 이프홈에 초대해 소통할 수도 있어요.
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실제 오프라인에서 알고 지내는 친구들만 놀러 오는 게 아니라 다양한 나라의 사람들과 소통할 수 있어서 더 재밌게 느껴졌는데요.
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저도 다른 사람의 이프홈에 놀러 가 게시물도 구경하고, 발자국을 남기는 등 존재감을 드러내보았답니다 ㅋㅋ
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이렇게 이프홈에선 나의 흔적만 남기는 것이 아니라 실시간 스몰톡도 할 수 있었는데요.
음성 대화도 가능하다는 점!!
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특히 이프홈이나 이프스퀘어에는 노래방 기계도 있어서 코노가 아닌 이프랜드 안에서 노래를 부를 수도 있는데요.
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진짜 반주가 흘러나오고 내 목소리를 녹음할 수 있어요 ㅋㅋ
진짜 노래방에서 노래를 검색하듯 요즘 핫한 아이브의 Kitch를 소심하게 불러보기도 했다져 ㅋㅋ
이렇게 노래를 부르면서 이프미의 이모티콘을 눌러 짧은 춤도 추게 할 수 있어 나 홀로 있는 이프홈에서도 즐거웠다며!!
가상의 내 집에서 노래를 부르는 것도 재밌게 느껴졌는데, 이프홈에 친구들을 초대해서 다 같이 노래 부르고 놀아도 되겠죠?
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이프스퀘어 중에는 아바타 노래방도 볼 수 있었는데요. 관객이 되어 앉아서 다른 이프미의 노래를 들을 수도 있고, 직접 노래를 부를 수도 있었답니다 ㅎㅎ
마치 전국노래자랑 같은 너낌!
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요즘 어딜 가든 돈 없으면 못 하는 세상이라 더욱 이러한 메타버스 메신저가 핫한 것 같은데요!
ifland 안에는 다양한 공간이 있어 지루하지가 않더라구요 :-)
실제 현생의 친구들로만 소통하는 게 아니라 다양한 사람들의 이프홈을 방문해 발자국도 남기고 스몰톡도 하며 다양한 친구를 사귈 수 있어 너무 재밌다며!
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남의 이프홈 놀러 가서 소파에 앉아 쉬는 중 ㅋㅋ
저는 밖에 나가면 좀 쉽게 지치는 사람인데 이렇게 소통하니 더 재밌게 느껴졌답니다 ㅎㅎ
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이렇게 새로운 서비스를 선보인 기념으로 이프랜드에서 If home 챌린지를 진행한다고 해서 소개해 드려요 :-)
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꾸며줘! If home 챌린지 ​ 당첨자 발표 : 2023년 06월 13(화)

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꾸며줘! if home 챌린지는 내 마음대로 꾸밀 수 있는 공간인 if home을 다양한 소품과 가구를 활용해 꾸민 후 제출하는 챌린지예요 :-)
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[ 꾸며 줘! if home 챌린지 참여 방법 ]
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1) ifland에서 회원가입 후 나의 이프홈 꾸미기
2) 완성된 이프홈의 오른쪽 상단 스크린샷 버튼을 눌러 캡쳐하기
3) 오른쪽 하단 공유 버튼 클릭해 이프홈 공유 클릭해 나의 이프홈 URL 복사
4) 이벤트 참여하기 버튼 눌러 스크린샷과 복사된 URL 제출 시 응모!
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당첨자 발표는 6월 13일에 예정되어 있는데요.
if home 챌린지 경품이 정말 대박이랍니다 +_+
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베스트홈 수상자 : 맥북 에어(M2) (1명)
최다 발도장 : 아이패드 Air WIFI(64GB) (1명)
최다 방문자 : 애플워치 시리즈8 (1명)
창작상 : 에어팟 Pro 2세대 (3명)
참여상 : 배달의민족 상품권 1만원 권 (300명)(랜덤 추첨)
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맥북 에어, 아이패드, 애플워치, 에어팟프로라니..!
이 중에 하나만 돼도 얼마나 좋겠냐며 ㅎㅎ
사실 배민 상품권만 받아도 엄청 좋을 것 같아서 바로 응모했답니다!
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이프랜드에서 나만의 이프홈을 꾸미는 것만으로도 진짜 언젠가 이런 집에서 살 수 있을 것 같은 기대감에
기분이 좋아졌는데요. 현생은 갓생이 아니지만ㅎㅎ 메타버스 메신저 내에서라도 갓생 살고 싶어 즐기고 있는데요. 여러분들도 나만의 이프홈 꾸며서 챌린지 참여하시고 경품도 노려보세요 ^^
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http://iryan.kt7ebwxf1a2
📷이프랜드에서 나만의 공간 이프홈을 만들어보세요!
"ifland - 새로운 메타버스, 이프랜드 꾸미고, 배치하고, 이프랜드의 새로운 서비스인 이프홈에서 나만의 공간을 만들어보세요! 모던하게, 시크하게, 내추럴하게 아니면 아이돌처럼 귀엽게! 나의 이프홈을 꾸밀 수 있어요. 이모티콘을 사용하여 감정표현과 꾸미기가 가능해요. 나를 표현하고 기록을 남겨보세요. 다른 사람이 만든 이프홈도 구경하고 나의 게시물도 친구들에게 자랑해 보세요. 이프홈에서 즐거운 스몰톡도 나눠보세요!
iryan.kr
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http://iryan.kt7ebwxf1a2
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Create your own space ifhome in ifland!
"ifland - new metaverse, decorate, deploy ifland, create your own space in ifland's new service, ifhome! Modern, chic, natural, or cute like an idol! I can decorate my if groove. Emotional expression and decoration are possible using emoticons. Express yourself and leave a record. See ifhome made by someone else and show off my posts to friends. Enjoy Small Talk on If Home!
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iryan.kr
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These days, teenagers promise to meet at Metaverse Messenger, not offline.
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It is said that in it, I create a virtual space between me and myself and interact with not only close friends but also people around the world who have similar hobbies and interests.
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In my case, when I was a teenager, I also had fun communicating with virtual friends, not real friends, through various messengers, so I understand these interests of children these days.
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Above all, I also enter the metaverse messenger and decorate my hip self, not my daily self, and I feel vicarious satisfaction by decorating a virtual large house, not a narrow apartment.
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Let me introduce you to the emerging metaverse messenger ifland.
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Ifland is a metaverse platform created by SKT.
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Inside, there is a virtual house, if home, if me, and if square where you can communicate with people from various countries.
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When I went in, there were various concept spaces such as convenience stores, universities, and cities, so I could understand why people meet in Ifland, not in real offline places.
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In particular, there were times when it was difficult to express my feelings with emoticons. Ifmi imitates my expression so I can communicate more fun during the metaverse meeting
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This hot ifland introduced ifhome with a new function. :-)
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I don't have my own house in the real world! Inside the metaverse messenger, you can make a very elegant house.
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I was able to choose the beach, space, forest, and city that I wanted, and I was able to choose the shape of the house to suit my taste, including modern, European, and hanok style of hanok.
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The modern country house is what I dreamt of, so I chose it right away and I filled it with the most things :-)
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After decorating like this, I wanted to show off my space?Haha
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Through ifland's if home, I can decorate my own space that I wanted to express and share it with others.
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You can visit someone else's ifhome and look at the posts or leave footprints, or invite them to my ifhome to communicate.
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It felt more fun because I could communicate with people from various countries, not just friends I know offline.
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I went to someone else's Ifhome, looked at the posts, left footprints, and showed my presence lol
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Like this, I could not only leave my traces on If Home, but also do real-time Small Talk.
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Voice conversation is also possible!!
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Especially, ifhome or ifsquare have karaoke machines, so you can sing in ifland, not in coin karaoke.
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I can record my voice with the real accompaniment lol
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I even timidly sang Kit from Ive, which is hot these days, as if I were searching for a song in a real karaoke room
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You said you had fun even at If Home, where you are alone, because you can make me dance for a short time by pressing If Me's emoticon while singing like this!!
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It felt fun to sing in my virtual house, so can I invite my friends to Ifhome and sing and play together?
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I could see Avatar Karaoke in If Square. I could sit in the audience and listen to other IFME songs, or I could sing myself Haha
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It's like a national singing contest!
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These days, metaverse messengers seem to be all the more popular because it's a world where you can't do without money wherever you go!
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There are various spaces in ifland, so it's not boring. :-)
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You said it was so much fun not only to communicate with real-life friends, but to visit various people's If homes, leave footprints, do small talk, and make various friends!
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Going to someone else's If Home and resting on the sofa lol
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I get tired easily when I go outside, but it's more fun to communicate with you like this Haha
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To commemorate the introduction of this new service, I am introducing the If home challenge in Ifland. :-)
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Decorate it! If home challenge
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Winners announced: June 13, 2023 (Tue)
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Decorate it! The if home challenge is to decorate the if home, a space where you can decorate it as you want, using various props and furniture and submit it :-)
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[Decorate it! How to participate in the if home challenge]
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1) Decorating my if home after signing up for membership in ifland
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2) Tap the screenshot button in the upper right corner of the completed If Home to capture
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3) Click the Share button at the bottom right Click Share If Home Click Copy My If Home URL
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4) If you press the "Participate in the event" button and submit a screenshot and a copied URL, apply!
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The announcement of the winners is scheduled for June 13th.
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The if home challenge prize is amazing +_+
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Best Home Winner: MacBook Air (M2) (1 person)
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Most footprints: iPad Air WIFI (64GB) (1 person)
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Most visitors: Apple Watch Series 8 (1 person)
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Creative Award: AirPods Pro 2nd Generation (3 people)
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Participation Award: 10,000 won gift certificate of Baedal Minjok (300 people) (random lottery)
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MacBook Air, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods Pro!
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How nice would it be to be one of these
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Actually, I thought it would be great to get a Baemin gift certificate, so I applied right away!
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Just decorating my own If Home in Ifland, I thought that I would be able to live in a house like this one day
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I feel better. I'm not a newborn, but I'm enjoying it because I want to live a newborn life even within the metaverse messenger. Make your own if home and participate in the challenge and aim for prizes ^^
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http://iryan.kt7ebwxf1a2
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Create your own space ifhome in ifland!
"ifland - new metaverse, decorate, deploy ifland, create your own space in ifland's new service, ifhome! Modern, chic, natural, or cute like an idol! I can decorate my if groove. Emotional expression and decoration are possible using emoticons. Express yourself and leave a record. See ifhome made by someone else and show off my posts to friends. Enjoy Small Talk on If Home!
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iryan.kr
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it speaks my silence and hears in pictures.
its eyes are devoured and long lasting boiling
if I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I
it speaks in words and hears in blisters.
it's eyes look at you and pray and pray and pray and pray i don' I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I
It speaks in silence and hears you-- silence.
Silence.
These words were written by the tourist before he dissapeared. Scribbled on the back of an electrical box just outside the hotel. I'm sorry for the rush, I think you understand. Anyways, what was it-- do you think, that made him shut off the lights in his room at night? Sorry, but I'm sure we've already talked about this--- Maybe not here though so I guess we'll take it again. Some people come to these parts and expect the same reality as back home, these people don't go back home. To put it simply; reality is and isn't. If you shut off your eyes and your ears and you turn off your mouth and neck. Then if you stop the touch of sensation and pain from the skinning you're left with a reality that doesn't exist; No reality. What is reality? If you weren't here would reality still exist? Maybe, but your reality wouldn't and your experience would be that no reality does. Then if reality doesn't exist for you, what use is it? Sorry I- I don't follow. Where are you going with this? We don't have much time I have four other witnesses to interview before the end of the day. Sorry I--- don't mean to waste your time. Sorry, did you say skinning? Sorry, I meant if you shut off all sensation of your skin, I was being a bit dramatic to emphasise a point. Sorry! I misunderstood. Shut the fuck up.
In this world I stay at the hotel, it stays outside of the hotel. The cold stays outside of the hotel, the heat stays inside of the hotel, the warmth stays outside of the hotel, I don't see the hotel i--i don't see the hotel i--i--i do--n-t---ii-
W-- What did he mean by this? Did you say something? No? Is everything quite alright? No, he's HERE---- So what did he mean by this? I don't quite know alright? I'm not---
The silence refers to the snow. It's insulating properties makes it impossible for someone to hear you when you're buried in it. If'm not mistaken he wasn't keen on skiing? That's right, he never checked out with our gear. Infact he never checked out at all right? Wait who's asking you or me? You. Alright. Then at what point did he leave the hotel? Probably when he saw it outside of the treeline. You have a treeline here? I don't, but the hotel does. Very funny. Who's being funny? Sorr----. Don't start. Sorr---. What did I just say? Ahem... My bad. A,l,r,i,g,h,t. What made it leave the treeline, what you or me? No you forgot the period. Who did? You did. Why bring them into this? What? You did. What did they do? No, I mean you did. Whatever. So what made it leave the treeline? Probably seeing him turn off the lights. But why did he do that? You ever make a mistake in your life kid? Don't call me kid. That's what you are right? I'm half as old as you. What does that mean? You look to be half way past the finish line. I'm not that old. Then why do your eyes dangle out of their sockets? They don't. Metaphorically speaking. Not a big fan of those. Hahahahahaha you make me want to cry. What makes me wh---at? Sorry. What did I just say? Stop derailing the conversation. I have a question for you. No more questions. What makes life worth living? You tell me, plutarch. Do you even know who that is? Yes
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaFor other uses, see Plutarch (disambiguation)).Not to be confused with Plutarchy*.*Plutarch📷Modern portrait at Chaeronea, based on a bust from Delphi tentatively identified as Plutarch.Bornc. AD 46Chaeronea, BoeotiaDiedafter AD 119 (aged 73–74)Delphi, Phocis)Occupation(s)Biographer, essayist, philosopher, priest, ambassador, magistrateNotable workParallel LivesMoraliaEraHellenistic philosophyRegionAncient philosophySchoolMiddle PlatonismMain interestsEpistemology, Ethics, History, MetaphysicsInfluencesInfluenced
Plutarch (/ˈpluːtɑːrk/; Greek: Πλούταρχος, Ploútarchos; Koine Greek: [ˈplutarkʰos]; c. AD 46 – after AD 119)[1] was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher,[2] historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo) in Delphi. He is known primarily for his Parallel Lives, a series of biographies of illustrious Greeks and Romans, and Moralia, a collection of essays and speeches.[3] Upon becoming a Roman citizen, he was possibly named Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (Λούκιος Μέστριος Πλούταρχος).[4][a]
Life[edit]Early life[edit]
Plutarch was born to a prominent family in the small town of Chaeronea,[5] about 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Delphi, in the Greek region of Boeotia. His family was long established in the town; his father was named Autobulus and his grandfather was named Lamprias.[4]
His name is a compound of the Greek words πλοῦτος, "wealthy" and ἀρχόςrxo/s) , "leader." In the traditional aspirational Greek naming convention the whole name means something like "prosperous leader."
His brothers, Timon and Lamprias, are frequently mentioned in his essays and dialogues, which speak of Timon in particular in the most affectionate terms. Rualdus, in his 1624 work Life of Plutarchus, recovered the name of Plutarch's wife, Timoxena, from internal evidence afforded by his writings. A letter is still extant, addressed by Plutarch to his wife, bidding her not to grieve too much at the death of their two-year-old daughter, who was named Timoxena after her mother. He hinted at a belief in reincarnation in that letter of consolation.[6]
Plutarch studied mathematics and philosophy in Athens under Ammonius from AD 66 to 67.[1] He attended the games of Delphi where the emperor Nero competed and possibly met prominent Romans, including future emperor Vespasian.[7]
Plutarch and Timoxena had at least four sons and one daughter, though two died in childhood. The loss of his daughter and a young son, Chaeron, are mentioned in the his letter to Timoxena.[8] Two sons, named Autoboulos and Plutarch, appear in a number of Plutarch's works; Plutarch's treatise on Plato's Timaeus) is dedicated to them.[9] It's likely that a third son, named Soklaros after Plutarch's confidant Soklaros of Tithora, survived to adulthood as well although he is not mentioned in Plutarch's later works: a Lucius Mestrius Soclarus, who shares Plutarch's Latin family name, appears in an inscription in Boeotia from the time of Trajan.[10] Traditionally the surviving catalog of Plutarch's works is ascribed to another son, named Lamprias after Plutarch's grandfather.[11] However most modern scholars believe this tradition is a later interpolation.[12] Plutarch's treatise on marriage questions, addressed to Eurydice and Pollianus.[13] seems to speak of the former as having recently lived in his house, but without any clear evidence on whether she was his daughter or not.[14]
Plutarch was either the uncle or grandfather of Sextus of Chaeronea, who was one of the teachers of Marcus Aurelius, and who may have been the same person as the philosopher Sextus Empiricus. His family remained in Greece down to at least the fourth century, producing a number of philosophers and authors.[9] Apuleius, the author of The Golden Ass, made his fictional protagonist a descendant of Plutarch.
📷Ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi), where Plutarch served as one of the priests responsible for interpreting the predictions of the Pythia.
Plutarch was a vegetarian, though how long and how strictly he adhered to this diet is unclear.[15][16] He wrote about the ethics of meat-eating in two discourses in Moralia.[17]
At some point, Plutarch received Roman citizenship. His sponsor was Lucius Mestrius Florus, who was an associate of the new emperor Vespasian, as evidenced by his new name, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus.[7] As a Roman citizen, Plutarch would have been of the equestrian) order, he visited Rome some time c. AD 70 with Florus, who served also as a historical source for his Life of Otho.[18][7] Plutarch was on familiar terms with a number of Roman nobles, particularly the consulars Quintus Sosius Senecio, Titus Avidius Quietus, and Arulenus Rusticus, all of whom appear in his works.[19]
He lived most of his life at Chaeronea, and was initiated into the mysteries of the Greek god Apollo. He probably took part in the Eleusinian Mysteries.[20] During his visit to Rome he may have been part of a municipal embassy for Delphi: around the same time, Vespasian granted Delphi various municipal rights and privileges.[21]
Work as magistrate and ambassador[edit]
In addition to his duties as a priest of the Delphic temple), Plutarch was also a magistrate at Chaeronea and he represented his home town on various missions to foreign countries during his early adult years. Plutarch held the office of archon in his native municipality, probably only an annual one which he likely served more than once.[22]
Plutarch was epimeletes (manager) of the Amphictyonic League for at least five terms, from 107 to 127, in which role he was responsible for organising the Pythian Games. He mentions this service in his work, Whether an Old Man Should Engage in Public Affairs (17 = Moralia 792f).[23]
The Suda, a medieval Greek encyclopedia, states that Trajan made Plutarch procurator) of Illyria. However, most historians consider this unlikely, since Illyria was not a procuratorial province.[24][page needed][25]
According to the 8th/9th-century historian George Syncellus, late in Plutarch's life, Emperor Hadrian appointed him nominal procurator) of Achaea) – which entitled him to wear the vestments and ornaments of a consul.[26][page needed]
Late period: Priest at Delphi[edit]
📷Portrait of a philosopher, and a hermaic) stele at the Delphi Archaeological Museum
Some time c. AD 95, Plutarch was made one of the two sanctuary priests for the temple of Apollo at Delphi; the site had declined considerably since the classical Greek period. Around the same time in the 90s, Delphi experienced a construction boom, financed by Greek patrons and possible imperial support.[27] His priestly duties connected part of his literary work with the Pythian oracle at Delphia: one of his most important works is the "Why Pythia does not give oracles in verse".[28](“Περὶ τοῦ μὴ χρᾶν ἔμμετρα νῦν τὴν Πυθίαν”).[29] Even more important is the dialogue “On the ‘E’ at Delphi” (“Περὶ τοῦ Εἶ τοῦ ἐν Δελφοῖς”),[30] which features Ammonius, a Platonic philosopher and teacher of Plutarch, and Lambrias, Plutarch's brother.
According to Ammonius, the letter ‘E’ written on the temple of Apollo in Delphi originated from the following fact: The Seven Sages of Greece, whose maxims were also written on the walls of the vestibule of the temple, were not seven but actually five: Chilon, Solon, Thales, Bias, and Pittakos. However, the tyrants Cleobulos and Periandros used their political power to be incorporated in the list. Thus, the ‘E’, which was used to represent the number 5, constituted an acknowledgement that the Delphic maxims actually originated from only five genuine wise men.
Portrait[edit]
There was a portrait bust dedicated to Plutarch for his efforts in helping to revive the Delphic shrines.[4]
The portrait of a philosopher exhibited at the exit of the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, dates to the 2nd century; due to its inscription, in the past it had been identified with Plutarch. The man, although bearded, is depicted at a relatively young age: His hair and beard are rendered in coarse volumes and thin incisi---
Alright shit I get it!
You seem to know your stuff, I'll let you pass on this one. Anyways man, jesus... Whatever, anyways... The answer is dopamine and seratonin and all that other stuff mixed around in our brains. It mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes and it mixes. And we experience pleasure and that makes life worth living. I've heard it all before. What if we plucked out the brain of a person and stabbed a hole in it? What if we squeezed all the dopamine and the seratonin out of the brain and made it into a drink and then mixed that around and drank it? Well... I haven't heard that one before. What would that make us? Happy? I sure hope not. Who was that---? Sorry---? Nevermind. Whatever, the point is, you know how when you eat meat that meat is broken apart and used to structure your muscles; your muscles? Sure. What if you ate--- or drank, another persons dopamine? Would that make you made of dopamine? No? If you did that your body would break it down into smaller components that aren't dopamine, then it would use those components to produce your flesh. You'd be made out of atoms that came from dopamine-- assuming you could digest dopamine-- but you wouldn't be made out dopamine anymore than you're made out of shit that a fly ate and absorbed and then that fly was eaten and absorbed by a spider and then a spider was eaten and absorbed by a chicken and then the chicken was eaten and absorbed by you. Would you say that you're made out of shit? Yes. Oh. But you get the poin--- Yeah I do. But what if there was something out there maybe standing behind you that coul--- HAHAHA made you look. Very funny. Shut the fuck up.
"What if there was a creature out there that could eat someones dopamine and absorb it into their flesh?" The clerk has that same expression again as he did before. That detached yet paradoxically focused expression that kept making me uncomfortable. It still does.
"What would that do for it? What would it use the dopamine for?" I don't get it, it seems like he's trying to tell me something but what's with the roundabouts?
"The same way you use it for." The same way I use it for?
"My dopamine is used in my brain, If it were in my muscles it would be practically useless as far as I know about science."
"Yeah? Well what if you don't know?" Tsk. Some people, always arguing and trying to make you look stupid when having a simple discussion. Anyways he's probably traumatized from whatever's going on here at the hotel, I shouldn't be judgemental of a broken mind. He's not--
"Hello? You just gonna stare at me all day?"
"Oh uhhh-- What? Sorry."
"Whatever, the point is, !_!!!__!_!!!::___::!!!_____!!!!"
"What was that?" Do I look weird right now? Also: "Those are just exclamation marks."
"Yeah but they carry points with them."
"Is that a play on words~?"
"Are you flirting with me?"
"No I'm the investigating officer." I--
"They strung up corpses by the dozens. My brother was a decapitated skinned corpse dangling by one leg from a dying tree. Behind the tree were two rows of people I knew, kneeling and carrying their own heads as if they were blocking a prayer. The rows were facing each other and at the end of the pathway they created, was a mountain of bodies shaped like a throne at the front. And at the throne was me with a bird mask like you'd see at masquerade. And I would sit on the throne and wave my hand and the kneeling ones would explode into splinters of bone and blood."
I don't think he got the joke. Wait...
W--- what did he say?
"W-- what did you--"
This was the dream I had last night.
"This was the dream I had last night." Wh... What!? Does he mean that we both shared the same dream?
"You also dreamt this?"
"In this place this Is all you can dream. Everyone dreams this every night. If you run out of people to dream about, you dissapear and they never see you again." Where--
"Where do you go?"
"I don't know. But you don't appear in anyone's dreams anymore at least."
"Shouldn't other people appear in your dream if you app" Shut the fuck up. Wh---
S-s-s---So a---a---gain, one l---a-st q---q---uestion if y--you d----don't mi--n---d me a---a---asking. Why d--- di---d he shut o---o-ff the l---l---ights at n---n---igh---t? He didn't want to be skinned anymore. Why does his voice sound like tv static? i- I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I----I
"What the fuck did I just read?" Clint said, he looked just as confused as Billy.
"Janice seriously, what the fuck did I just read? What is this? What is this supposed to be? What the fuck is any of this!?" The confusion was making him mad, Billy's really not a patient person. But what if he were?
A tweak to the structure can change every brain. All it takes is a momentary one and not a ZER0.

I was just recently told that my incarcerated family member (IFM) has access to this app, and has asked me to join. My IFM and I don't speak on the phone, and contact is sporadic. My IFM does not have my phone number, email, or anything like that.
So my first questions are: What information about me will they see? Will they see the email I used to sign up? Will they be able to see the phone number that I use? (I am thinking of using a Google Voice number.
Further, I have never paid to talk to him. I have never put money on his commissary. The only fee I pay is for stamps. How will this differ with this app? Does it cost money to simply send messages? Voicemails? How much does it cost to send a picture/video? How much is a video call? Would I have to pay for my IFM to both send and receive messages, etc. from the app? If so, are the costs the same? (Edit: is my IFM able to put onto this app on their own?) If I were to put money in their account, would that be able to be used to make calls, messages, etc. to all of their contacts, or just to myself? I have looked at the website and I didn't find anything concrete. My IFM is in California if that helps.
Further, what are the limits of the app? Are the incarcerated people able to also send pictures or videos? Can they call/message/etc. at any hour of the day/night if they have the funds? Is there a way to block certain features? For example, at the moment, I do not want to receive video calls. Can I disable that or will I have to just explain my boundary to my IFM?
What else can be done on the app? My IFM mentioned podcasts, sports, movies, news, and music. Is this free? Will there be access to things like Netflix or other streaming services? Would they be able to use someone else's account for this? If yes, and there are movies that can be rented for a charge, would they have access to that? What about the Internet? Are they able to access a limited amount of Google, for example? Social media? Is there any feature like email, where you can write, but are not limited to the 500 characters I saw on the website?
​
Thanks in advance for any responses I get. I appreciate having boundaries with my IFM, but this app is something that I am interested in. I just need more information that their dumb website doesn't help with.

TL:DR- Nominations open until April 7th
​
Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well.
I can confirm that this award competition has been eye opening to the Mods, we know where we can improve for the next time as well as what has worked so far that we have build upon.
In the spirit of this, we are scraping the campaigning week that was due to start in a few days and to replace that, we are expanding the nominations for another week.
why are we doing this? Because over the week it has become clear to me that nothing would truly be gained by the campaigning stage, you see how it was going to work was that I was going to make a post for every single category with all the nominations where people could talk about what they liked, but that in hindsight would come across as hardcore spam to say the least, something I would like to avoid.
By extending the nominations for another week, I give more people the chance to nominate their favourite fics and second those already mentioned, there is no harm in doing that while there would be issues caused by the hypothetical campaigning week.
Of course if you are making a promotion post (in line with rule number 6) you are still welcome to mention your fic/ the fic is up in x category. That sort of encouragement is okay while what was originally planned would potentially have been disastrous and adds nothing to the comp.
​
So with that being said: Voting will commence on Friday the 9th as planned (and therefore that is when the nominations close) so remember to keep nominating, there are still fics to be mentioned and still others that need your support, if it doesn't have two nominations in a category it cannot go through to voting!
this document is a way of keeping track, I update it at least once a day but mostly twice. please read through it.
​
thank you for the support so far!

I've been going to therapy for three years, since December of 2019. It started right as I separated from my wife, and continued as I found a new partner, and struggled to just "be happy". I learned a lot over this time, but I had a session about two weeks ago that "clicked" and now everything feels a little different, and I'm scared it's going to fade and I'll go back to "normal".
For some added context, the last three years have helped me understand I have some anxiety, particularly around any unknowns. I almost need to have a plan for everything. I get anxious without one, and anxious if things don't go according to the plan. I also learned that I have some childhood trauma, but still struggle to call my experiences traumatic because they feel normal and banal compared to what many others go through.
Two weeks ago though, I had a session where we didn't really say anything new, everything we talked about had been touched on before in some other way, or some other phrasing, but this time all the puzzle pieces clicked in a way that has never happened before. It was a sudden realization that, "I struggle to find happiness because I actually don't know what I want".
I guess I'm sort of just asking if any others have experience a session like this where it feels like years of work finally come together in the span of 5 minutes. Now I feel more optimistic about life, more outgoing and extroverted. I want to go find what makes me happy. I'm trying new hobbies, looking to travel, learn new skills. I'm quitting my daily cannabis use, and trying to make more friends. I haven't felt like this as far back as I can remember.
In case it's helpful, my therapist and I have used CBT, IFM (Parts Therapy), and a little bit of EMDR (although I struggled to connect with it). The parts work seems to be what opened the door to the revelation.

THE MCC VOD CRASHCOURSE CRAM EDITION!

This event has a lot of newcomers, and you know what they need, VOD Review!
This VOD Crashcourse helps you by giving you some great perspectives of different games to help you understand how each game works! By watching these VODs, you can see strategies in practice and get an idea of each game is played. Even if you have never seen an MCC, this guide will get you in the loop on how to play every game! Tag any MCC 27 participants who you think find it helpful!
As this is a cram guide, there's a wee bit less than normal to look at, but still plenty to go through!
Quick disclaimers, I help write videos for the MCC Highlights YouTube channel, and though I'm recommending some of these videos throughout this crashcourse, it's because I think they're genuinely useful.
Also, if you're a PG streamer, a lot of these VODs are not PG, so you might not be able to watch them on stream, sorry!

HOW TO USE THIS CRASHCOURSE:

In this crashcourse, there will be two sections, which together cover all of the games that are available to be played in MCC 27
Section 1 - Crucial VODs: Every game where you need to watch VODs if you want to do well in them in MCC27. This section will include;

• Full MCC VODs
• Ace Race
• Sands of Time
• Grid Runners
• To Get To The Other Side And Whack A Fan
• Big Sales at Buildmart
• Meltdown

Section 2 - Useful VODs: Every game where it's beneficial to watch VODs before MCC27 This section will include;

• Parkour Tag
• Battle Box
• Hole in the Wall

All of the videos for the crashcourse are timestamped on the particular game being showcased.
BEFORE WATCHING ANY VOD, PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION ABOUT IT, BECAUSE IT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THAT VOD IS USEFUL!
One final note. These VODs don’t necessarily showcase the very best performances that have happened in a game, but rather show VODs which will help you learn and understand strategies. If someone isn’t on this list, the reason why they aren’t there is probably because they are too cracked at the craft.
By watching these VODs, hopefully you'll be able to better understand the best way to perform in each of these games, and hopefully it will improve how you perform in MCC! Let's get started!

Section 1 – Crucial VODs:

FULL MCC VODs:

Before you watch any specific games, it’s a good idea to watch a full VOD of a recent MCC (ideally the last played event, though Season 2 VODs from MCC24 or so onwards will teach you the same thing). By watching a full VOD, you get a general understanding of the structure of MCC and how it works.
If you’ve already watched a full MCC VOD, congratulations! You’re done with this step! If you haven’t already watched a recent VOD, watch one! Most POVs from MCC24 onwards will work.
Consider watching one of your teammates, or someone who you think has roughly the same skill level as you. However, here are a few particular recommendations if you're still unsure.
In MCC24, Skeppy returned after a long break and was on the winning team. This gives you a similar perspctive (as a newcomer) to how it'll be for you! KryticZeuz in MCC25 is also a great perspective, with Zeuz playing a "right-hand man" esque role to HBomb, and getting his best ever placement.

Ace Race:

In Ace Race, the map that you'll be playing is the Turtle Run map, the newest map which debuted in MCC23. For this, you might as well watch the fastest run, which was done by PeteZahHutt in MCC 25. Additionally, consider watching this video by MCC Highlights which details the fastest routes for every section of the map. The big thing, don't feel obligated to go for the skips if you feel like they're too difficult for you.
Finally, have a watch of player who makes some mistakes and is still able to recover, as (let's be honest) you'll probably make some mistakes as well in Ace Race. AntVenom's MCC24 is a brilliant example of this. He starts off the race near the back, makes it up to 7th, and despite falling down a few places back to 20th again, finished in 14th. He takes a few riskier skips, sometimes making it and sometimes not, but that is the reality of Ace Race. Take skips when you feel like you should, and face the consequences when you do / do not make them.

Sands of Time:

Welcome to the longest section of the VOD Crashcourse! Why? Because there is a lot to talk about regarding Sands of Time. As it's the most complicated game, watch as many POVs as you have time to watch! Before watching any of these POVs though, watch the Noxcrew's Sands of Time showcase video and the MCC15 update video, which covers the game in its current state. These should give you an understanding of the very basics of how this game works. Having a watch of the MCC Highlights video about Sands of Time is also useful
The other thing that's important to know about before you start watching any of the VODs is what your role will be on the team. Typically, there are two roles in Sands of Time, explorers and sandkeepers. Explorers go down the different paths to collect sand and earn as many coins as possible, whilst sandkeepers stay around the centre, collecting sand and topping up the sandtimer. Which VODs you watch is very determined by your role, so have a chat with your team about what you're likely to be doing!
If you only have time to watch only one POV, I'd recommend HBomb's MCC22 VOD (explorer) or Elaina's MCC21 VOD (sandkeeper), but if you can, watch more VODs for Sands of Time!

Explorer POVs:

HBomb is the Sands of Time king, and his MCC22 Sands of Time run is a great example of that. He goes through the dungeon very systematically, always making sure to light up spawners and listening out to his sandkeeper so that he knows when to go back. HBomb does play very safe though, very rarely going for lava parkour even if it could be worth it. His use of markers, understanding of risk / reward, comms and PvE are all brilliant though, and should be taken as great examples.
A second explorer POV that's worth having a look at is Pearl in MCC24, where she rushes the Blue vault immediately. On her team were two players who had never played Sands of Time before in a canon event (Aimsey and Hannah), and so have a listen out to team comms throughout as well, as they're very strong. Pearl may not be as mechanically skilled as some of the other players in the event, but her constant consideration of risk vs reward is really good, playing slightly riskier and not killing mobs immediately when she knew that she can do so.
As a general note, if you are a new explorer who hasn't played SoT before play it safe!! A lot of teams this event will likely get locked in, so playing it safe might be all you need to do.

Sandkeeper POVs:

First up for sandkeepers, we have Aimsey from MCC24. This was Aimsey's first ever time sandkeeping, but they did amazingly. They were incredibly clear about how much time was remaining, told people when they needed to come back, and more importantly communicated loudly. If you are the sandkeeper, you are the most important person on your team. Additionally, they do a good job distributing rusty keys to teammates, and also keeping people calm when their teammates make a mistake. For a first time sandkeeping, Aimsey did an amazing job. Incredible VOD to watch.
Cubfan's MCC20 sandkeeping is another great example of someone who hasn't sandkept often doing so confidently with the support of his teammates. Early on, he focuses on getting as much sand as possible from middle before beginning to do the dispensers as well as explore slightly down tunnels and pick up sand from there. The only criticism which could be made is that Cub doesn't communicate too much during the game. However, it's also worth noting that this seed had a lot of sand.
Finally, for a Sands of Time seed with slightly less sand which was still done very well, Elaina's MCC21 Sands of Time VOD is brilliant. Similarly to Cub, she also focusses on sand before moving onto the dispensers. Her comms are some of the clearest of any sandkeeper, and she also keeps an eye on her chat giving her advice throughout the game. NOTE: ONLY DO THIS IF YOUR CHAT WILL NOT BE GOING AT 100 MILES PER SECOND IN THE EVENT.

Grid Runners:

Grid Runners has a variety of different rooms that you have to make your way through, and many of the rooms are reused, or reused with slight variations! Watching a Grid Runners POV from every MCC is therefore useful as you'll immediately know how to solve rooms that have been in the event before, but you probably don't have time to do that.
I've chosen what is (in my opinion) a few of the best VODs to watch; MCC21 Blue, MCC23 Blue or MCC25 Aqua.
MCC21 Blue Bats are 100% the VOD to watch from MCC21, with different players leading when they feel comfortable and know the particular room. Being comfortable having different people make callouts is always good.
The MCC23 Blue Bats were the fastest ever team to complete Grid Runners, and are certainly the team to watch from that event.
Finally, MCC25 Aqua are a team where Purpled takes the lead, but where every single player pulls their weight. People make callouts whenever they need to, comms are always very clear and thanks to that, they're able to breeze through a few of the rooms
Finally, a few general tips. Keep an eye on your hotbar, as well as the particular goal for the room when you enter it. What tools you are given often give you a clue of how you're meant to complete a room. Finally, to save time, plan beforehand how you'll split up when you have to split your team in half, and remember that sometimes you'll have to split up into four seperate pods.
​

To Get To The Other Side And Whack A Fan:

For TGTTOS, the first thing you need to do is get an idea of each map, as there are a lot of maps, and 6 different ones are picked for each MCC. For this, have a watch of the All Fastest TGTTOS Map Completions Video on YouTube, which contains almost all of the TGTTOS maps. Watch a more recent VOD from MCC23, such as SB737's, to see the rest of the maps. I WILL UPDATE THIS SECTION WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIX SPECIFIC MAPS ONCE THEY ARE ANNOUNCED IN THE UPDATE VIDEO.
You will probably not be using these particular strategies, as a lot of them are quite hard, but it lets you know the general thing to do for each map.
After that, have a look at Grian's MCC19 TGTTOS POV, or Ranboo's MCC17 POV. Both of those perspectives have players perform incredibly well despite not being the very strongest mechanically.
​

Big Sales at Buildmart:

There won't be too many Buildmart VODs to watch, but before you watch either of these, have a quick look at the Buildmart portion of the MCC14 update video, which explains a lot of the nuances of the game. When watching VODs, as well as trying to understand how the game works, pay attention to which blocks are located which areas, as that will help you when you play Buildmart.
For a generally strong Buildmart team who defied expectations and did well, watch Ranboo from MCC19's Emerald Elves. This team used the floater strategy, which is the standard strategy for Buildmart. Three players (Ranboo, Tubbo and Slimecicle) each take one of the three buildmart plots, and focus on that the whole game. The fourth player (Dream) starts off the game by collecting 20 of each log, and then getting whatever random blocks people may need, floating between the different builds so that they're completed faster. Other things that are worth noting from this are how the team make sure to put blocks in the middle chest so that anyone can get them, as well as have the floater focus on the golden build (which is worth double points!!!). Finally, Ranboo is just a very efficient builder throughout the whole game. Build fast = more point = big win.
To get an amazing example of what to do in Buildmart, go and watch Grian's perspective from MCC Pride 22. It's probably the best Buildmart team ever, and they absolutely destroy the game. One big takeaway form this also is know your crafting recipes. If you know how to make items, then you spend less time talking to your teammates about it and more time asking your teammates to get you blocks that you need.
​

Meltdown:

Meltdown is another reasonably complicated game. Before watching any VODs, watch the update video which focussed on how the game works.
After that, go watch Finnster's MCC23 VOD. His team, the Orange Ocelots, had an absolutely incredible Meltdown performance. Watch how they move systematically through rooms, peak around corners and clearly communicate when they need to be heated. Also, them rushing the coin crate rooms in Round 1 and 2, as well as their survival until the very end, got them loads of points. In Meltdown, survive for as long as you can so that you snipe as many kills as possible at the end in the middle.
Next up, have a look at Antfrost's VOD from the same event. Antfrost was an incredible team leader, helping his team out whenever possible, but also played very well as a solo player when he had to. Also, he very much shows the importance of leaving melting rooms as quickly as possible.
​

SECTION 2 - USEFUL VODs

​

Parkour Tag:

For Parkour Tag, we're breaking this up into two sections; running + hunting and comms. Those three aspects make up the backbone of Parkour Tag. Quick note, you might be wondering why some insane Parkour Tag players (such as Dream or Sapnap) aren't on this list. It's mainly because it's nearly impossible to replicate their movements, due to how strong they are mechanically. With that, let's have a look at some VODs.
For running and hunting, take a look at CaptainSparklez in MCC25 or Martyn in MCC23 . Both of them demonstrates a lot of the key qualities in a good runner and a good hunter, with Sparklez moreso focussing on running, and doing an amazing job in Round 8.
Both of them ensure that they're spaced out compared to everyone else, sit still and wait when the hunter is far away / not going for them, and when they fall, they still run so that their teammates can live longer. None of the jumps that they do are particularly difficult, but both of them are consistent and understand the most sensible path to go. Know what your skill level is and what jumps you can go for. Hunting wise, this is similar. They just focus on making the jumps, and don't tunnel-vision onto the players that they're hunting
Finally, for an example of good comms, Watch Awesamdude in MCC20. His comms in Parkour Tag are the best of any player in the event, constantly being clear. Take a look at Round 5 for a wonderful example of this. Generally, all of Blue team give very good Parkour Tag comms as well. The moment that you get tagged in Parkour Tag, begin giving comms to your teammates and helping them however you can.
​

Battle Box:

For this event in Battle Box, the map is Ships, which was played in MCC22, so watch VODs from that event! This video by MCC Highlights showcases some of the different strategies that different teams used. Definitely a good idea to watch this to get an idea of the map!
Have a watch of the full VOD of whichever strategy you think will fit your team best, but if you want a VOD that demonstrates how a team who may not be PvP focussed can do well, 100% watch MCC22 Aqua. This demonstrates how strategy plays a key part in Battle Box, not simply raw PvP strength, with them changing their strategy part-way through the game and quickly improving.
​

Hole in the Wall:

There's not too much to say about this game. After you've practiced a wee bit on MCC Island, watch MCC19 Ranboo. He has a dominant performance in the game, and is just a great example which lets you see the different Hole in the Wall walls.
Though there aren't too many VODs worth watching, here's some advice.

• The next wall can never come from the direction opposite the last wall. If the last wall came from the North, the next wall can come from the North, West or East, but not the South.
• Use F5 if you feel comfortable with it. Some players prefer to use F5 and then swap into first person to make the jump, others don't.
• Spam spacebar at all costs if you get caught on a wall! This can help you survive just a little longer and get you some more points.

​

Conclusion:

Thank you very much for reading the latest version of the VOD Crashcourse, and I really hope that it's been useful for you! Remember, if you have any questions, you can contact me on reddit, Twitter (@TheOneOnlyXYZ) or by DM-ing me on Discord (TheOneAndOnlyX#8718).
Hopefully, you now feel prepared and ready to play in MCC and demolish the competition! Good luck

this is not a joke or a meme this rly happen and its not serious and I'm okay mentally so pls don't think I'm hurt or be sorry to me
let get this straight I'm a male (straight) 14 Y'o at the time, I'm Asianand the bully male (idk at the time)14 or 15 Y'o at the time, he is whiteI will refer to him as bull (short for bullies)
before the story start let me give him(bull) a background. the reason why he like to bully me is (well some might be obvious) because back when i was still at elementary school, and in my first day in 4th grade. i decided to bring a pack of bubblegum to school and start to chew on some of them after i finish chewing all of them i realize that my new class has no trashcan inside but instead outside but of course I didn't notice it and of course as a normal kid i decided to put the chewed bubblegum under my desk then move to the other desk. after awhile bull enter the class (i never interacted with him in the past 3 year of school so i only know his name) he then sit in the chair that i was sitting and his knee touch the underside of the desk which is infected by my bubblegum and of course he feels it in his knee so he decided to grab on it and he start to notice the squishy and wet bubblegum he look down and stand up and scream "who the f*ck put this here!?" and in my behalf my entire classroom betray me and point there dirty hand at me. so that's how he became my bully.
now for the main story this accident happen when i was 8th grade i move to my new school in my old street in my old house (keep in mind for the 5th-7th grade i move school and house then return) i was running to the street feeling some nostalgia in the air and i notice and old park. back in the days when i live here i always play in these swing so I decided to play on some after I finish i started to stand up but suddenly a huge solid object hit the back of my head of course out of reaction I flinch and drop down i then slowly rotate my head to see a huge buff teenager just laughing at me he then said "what's up ch*nk" (yeah he rly said that) and i responded with "dude what's your problem" he then respond "oh acting like you don't know huh? it seems like you we're having so much fun without me little b*tch it's me bull" he then pick me up slap me and push me to the slide and said "you dare to step in my territories?" and of course as a normal people i respond "dude i didn't know ok if i known you own this block i should have not step on this f*cking place in the fi..." he got angry at me and shout "did you just said fucking to me?" he then hit me with his Barbie ass helmet bike (not barbie btw) and said "if you dare shout at me like that again i will punch you with a literal brick understood" he then leaves with his skateboard and in my mind i said good a bully in the street why didn't i expect that from then till 7 month he keep bullying me all day everyday in school outside school doesn't why didn't i just fight back? well AGAIN he is buff and huge if I'm not john Cena then I'm not gonna fight him hell nah anyway my dad at the time didn't know i got bullied and thought im just in my depressed phase so he decided to put me in a summer camp WHAT COULD GO WRONG!? (sometimes foreshadowing could be relatively obvious) so i was of course 1.extrovert 2.never went camping and 3. think its a goooooooooood idea...... so I agree and i spent 4 day prepping and in the middle of prepping i got bullied again but this time i said to him "I'm feeling happy and not worried at you today because in the next 2 weeks i will not here and will not meet you at all" right? right!? RIGHT!? RIIIIG....
its 4 days later and its time for me to go to the summer camp after i say goodbye to my parent i went to a line that was forming and while i was busy looking at the nice view i heard someone whispered "so you are going to have fun without me again!?" and in respond i look beside me and of course who it is its little mc bully man who would have guess NOT ME OR MY INNOCENT PARENT so yeah after meeting my 3 rly friendly roommate i spend 5 days FIVE FUCKING DAYS bullied NONSTOP when i was eating BULLIED, exercising bullied, when I'm spending time in the forest planning my sui... so after 5 days of bullying in the 6th days he just stop and of course it is sus that he suddenly stop and i spend the 6th days looking around me every time I take a smallest step cause idk maybe he would bully me or prank me anyway after it reach 7pm i suddenly declare the 6th days as the no bully WHAT COULD GO WRONG!? (sometimes fore....) i finish my diner and the desert and do a night ceremony where we sing abt sh*t and after that we went to our cabin and spend our night SLEEPING IN A NICE AND QUIET CABIN RIGHT!? well remember the roommate i have? well 2 of them are actually HIS BFF FUCK MEEEEEE
well that joke actually happen bcse and keep in mind we are allowed to have rope and string's by the summer camp admin i can't remember but i think its 2pm and apparently my "roommate" tied me up with 3 of our rope (btw they aren't actually good at tying me up cause it was a huge chaos opening the rope) and idk if you guys have this but each of us was given a thin bandana so what happen was this smart ass use his and mine bandana and cover my mouth with it if you ask why didn't you wake up i spent 5 days getting bullied and sleeping with the mindset of no more bully was the best day i have or maybe they are that silent abt this operation anyway keep in mind im straight and dont know anything about gay sex all i know is pp insert vg or 8=D ( * ) that's all so what ever they do to me idk anything about so this guy open my pants and underwear and my shirt and slowly touching my body and start to pinching my nipple and i didn't know that male nipple is actually sensitive and after doing some sexual touching he take 8 line of string and start's to tie it on my d*ck at first i didn't know what it supposed to do i thought it supposed to make my pp hurt but i learn what its for afterward he started to slowly stroking my d*ck and i slowly turn from pain and anxiety to pleasure and confusion and after a while a stream of liquid slowly going up and i scream "ifm cufmmfing" and when i come suddenly i didnt feel anything why cause the string that was tiedly close to my pp its blocking my d*ck to come so only a little bit come out but the rest slowly coming back and THIS B*TCH didn't stop there he keep stroking my dick while he keep pinching my nipple and it turn from pleasure and confusion to pain and pleasure i keep moaning and screaming asking for release but he didn't let me i literally crying he then whisper to my ear and said wanna c*m? and after he open my mouth the first word come up is PLEASE PLEASE OPEN IT PLEASE!! instead of a HELP its a please that's how desperate i am to cumming so he open the string and also open his pants and started to fill my a*s hole with a liquid (idk what it is but its a lubing cream i guess) and insert his pp to my a*shole and start to push it in and out and at that time i cum and he keep pushing cause he didn't cum yet and when he do he cum in the floor like a b*tch after that i faint yeah idk what happen but my brain went bluescreen and fainted but when i wake up i was naked cover with my blanket and my clothes beside me with a note saying
"im sorry that i rape you last night but not rly sorry if you want to report you can do it but i remind it wouldn't be a good idea"
from bully
"oh so that wasn't a nightmare?" aaaand I cried for 16 minute now did i report him, did he got karma, did i got bullied again, or wtf happen after that
well no,no,no, and yeah after that accident i didn't tell anyone but my cat (literally i talk to my cat like she was able to understand) "but why?" you ask well he teach me a great pleasure and great pain and after that accident he become friendly and in 9th grade be become bff and introduce me to couple of his friend and I'm so much happier after that my stress was release and with a friend beside me i punch the door of highschool without any concern without any stress holding me back and now bull is my roommate rn and support me with stuff like colleges problem, money, and direction of right and wrong if that accident never happen i probably become suicidal piece of shit drug addicted fck head MAYBE!!
so anyway I'm ok and that's the story of my asshole friend literally breaking my asshole and the beginning of my rising arc

​
I am writing this as a warning so people can react in time or warn others of these type of situations.
So what exactly are we talking about here? il use the Enic-Naric referral to best describe it.(https://www.enic-naric.net/unrecognised-heis.aspx , a joint initiative of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO, has been created primarily as a tool to assist the ENIC-NARIC Networks , its express purpose to help other interested organisations and individuals easily find information on current issues in international academic and professional mobility, and on procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications )
Unrecognised higher education institutions are generally those that operate without a formal accreditation/authorisation/recognition status given by an official authority of a certain country. (in this case AAQ)
Degrees or other qualifications from unaccredited institutions may not be accepted for access to further study or for employment purposes in the public or private sector. Some unaccredited institutions may be permitted to operate in the education market of a specific country – delivering programmes, enrolling students granting qualifications, but the qualifications do not form part of the recognised education system. And by Swiss law you are not allowed to list unaccreditated degrees in your cv/resume under education. (this rule is universal everywhere)
There is a distinct group of organisations, that operate as Diploma Mills. Such organisations that claim fraudulently to be recognised awarding bodies, offer short duration programmes leading to qualifications without examination or assessment, and charge considerable sums of money for access and/or issuing the award. And they have shifted there focus on Switzerland in the past years.
The range of organisations working in this area is wide and varied; some organisations operate as functioning institutions granting qualifications that are not recognised nationally or internationally.
The majority of non-recognised institutions on the market define themselves as belonging to those national systems where the legal value of the qualification is absent or where there are systems of accreditation of the institutions joined to recognised private agencies at a governmental level and not through an award resulting from a legislative measure in the strict sense.
1.
Majority of Business Schools on the list use private programmatic US accreditors as a form of reassurance. The schools use clever wording by mixing words accreditation and membership in an attempt to dilute. Being a member and accredited is not the same thing with the private accreditors. Pay close attention to this and check on referenced agency site if the claims are true!
https://www.aacsb.edu/accredited
https://acbsp.org/page/membership_list
https://iacbe.org/accreditation/member-status-information/
When checking back on the information these accreditors point how they are only granting accreditation to those already in possession of Institutional approval. But since the Geneva Canton, along some other Cantons do not require for business schools to operate with approval these accreditations are questionable. https://www.ge.ch/en/authorizations-open-and-operate-private-schools
It should be noted a private Swiss certification going by the name eduQua (which a good part of schools from this list posses) is used as adult learning certificate officially. It can not be used for higher education. (undergrad, graduate, postgraduate) I will repeat this again it is used as Swiss Adult learning certificate. ( heavy implying by these schools) https://alice.ch/en/continuing-education-in-switzerland/federal-act-on-continuing-education-and-training/
Institutional ( also know as regional for the US readers) accreditation is awarded by the Ministry of Education ( from the respected country) in this case overseen by SAC. It is the only accreditation you should be looking and it is called AAQ. The ONLY accreditation for higher education that none of these schools hold. https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/ihe/higher-education/accreditation.html
The ones I will be covering specialize towards offering "private degrees" from Switzerland in the Business field. These companies are well set up in Switzerland. Most of them focus advertising on Linkedin. They offer quick degrees with promise for better job employment.
2. The current list;
- Academy of Business Management - The Open University of Switzerland
- Albert Schweitzer International University ( in liquidation )
- The Basel School of Business
- Business School Lausanne
- Ecole de Management et de Communication (ESM)
- EuroSwiss Universität
- Geneva School of Business and Economics
- GSBA Zurich
- Geneva Business School ( starts as Business and Management University in 1995, changes to University of Finance in 2001)
- Geneva School of Diplomacy
- Monarch Business School Switzerland
- Montreux Institute of Business Development
- International Business Academy of Switzerland (IBAS)
- IFM Business School
- International Institute Geneva (changes from International University in Geneva IUG 28.09.2022)
- Rochat School of Business
- Rushford Business School (formerly James Lind Institute)
- Swiss School of Management (SSM)
- Swiss School of Business and Management Geneva (SSBM)
- Swiss School of Business Research (SSBR)
- Swiss Management Center (SMC)
- Swiss School of Higher Education (SSHE)
- Swiss Institute Management and Innovation
- School of Hotel Management
- Sustainability Management School
- United International Business Schools
- UBIS Global ( changes from UBIS University 14.11.2022 )
- WES'SUP
- Wesford Genève
- Zurich Elite Business School
Some of the Schools used to have different name sakes, so i checked in Zefix and uploaded the changes.
On the website from State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation - SBFI States clearly what are private degrees and how they are regulated by the Ministry. https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/ihe/higher-education/coordination-higher-education-sectoprotection-and-recognition-of-the-titles.html
"According to the Federal act on the Funding and Coordination of the Higher Education Sector (HEdA), the designations "university", "university of applied Sciences" or "university of teacher education" and derived designations such as "university college" or "UAS college" can only be used by private institutions that have been institutionally accredited by the Swiss Agency for accreditation and quality assurance (AAQ). This also applies to designations in languages other than Swiss national languages. For further information : http://www.aaq.ch.
In general, private establishments as well as the diplomas that they award are not recognized by the Swiss Confederation.The authorization to operate delivered by Service de l’enseignement privé cannot therefore be considered as recognition or certification."
3. You will not find these Institutions on official State sites as recommendation. For reference I used these sites;
https://akkreditierungsrat.ch/entscheide/
https://www.swissuniversities.ch/en/topics/studying/accredited-swiss-higher-education-institutions ( recommendation from a fellow redditor)
https://studyprogrammes.ch/en
From the foreign Countries I've checked with German, UK and Swedish agencies like Ministry and Labor market agencies. I've Exchanged emails with the staff regarding accreditation and to no surprise verification for these schools failed from these sites.
https://anabin.kmk.org/no_cache/filteinstitutionen.html
https://www.gov.uk/check-university-award-degree
I also was in contact with Public Universities exchanging mails to confirm what I am writing here, they all referred me to the respected State sites, and said the rules that stand there are the law.(state/official site)
Some schools often time provide cooperation/dual degree programs from recognized Institutions be warry of those promises - a lot of Ministries forbid out of State proxy Institutions to award degrees.
4. When called out these Companies will say they offer "Swiss quality education". They will claim how they are well worth the price you pay. The associated narative is " you will be associated with people who are well known and influential" and "you will rise in prestige by increase your higher status networking". For the sum of money they charge this experience I think everyone can agree you can get that cheaper elsewhere, or at least recognized one from any of the great public schools.
5. The official social media pages are filled with false/paid reviews and bot accounts. The ones giving low scores or warning are being removed or shadow banned. (facebook, linkedin, google, instagram, trustpilot, glassdoor)
Pay close attention to this, and it is one of the biggest red flags.
6. Always check with official channels if you want to study/learn online in a foreign country. ENIC-NARIC webpage is the best source. The people in the Ministry, Public Uni's have been nothing but fast and forthcoming with my questions, and i want to thank them. Ask questions on social sites for advice (none related/regulated by these schools), this is the best tool to combat these threats. Least you can do is spend some time investigating/researching so you do not waste your time, money and maybe a fine for unaccredited degree.
7. It is in my own opinion that these people abuse the national brand from a country like Switzerland. Swiss name sake carries in value and these diploma mill (ab)use the word just for the sake how valuable it is.
a) People who enroll in these institutions waste time and money. You can not use private degrees in the official labor market in Switzerland for regulated professions, only for non-regulated. https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/education/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/recognition-procedure-on-establishment/regulated-occupations-and-professions.html
b) People working for Diploma mills most of the time are underpaid and the owners prey on recruiting foreigners/adjutant staff who are inexperienced with laws and regulations in the country. This becomes a problem because underpaid staff has a lot of stress to worry about and most of the time it leads to hectic work schedules and burnout. The employees and how there fees are worked out is also shady and how they are bypassing regulations in those regards. They are paid bar minimum as sub contractors in broad case scenario. So if the people are underpaid what kind of work ethics and level of education can you expect from these schools, "Swiss quality of education" ?
Feel free to correct me if I made wrong conclusions or things changed over time. Also please add any feedback if there are some Companies I missed out. Feel free to add any experiences you had with these schools and possibly get advice and help. I would also urge people to give warning to anyone if you know from this list and spread the word. Translate c/p, share it on any social media.
Thank you for reading.

Original Source: jryze.me/science

“Dad, I’m fed up with this Law Of Attraction crap.”

Emma had been struggling lately. She wanted a modeling contract, but it went to someone else. She tried selling NFTs, but didn’t break even. She wanted a role in a movie, but hadn’t heard back since her audition. So I took her for a drive to Niagara Falls, since the beautiful scenery, cascading water, and fresh air always cheered her up. It was quite the drive though, so I threw on some tunes until Emma felt like talking… which was apparently, now.
“Excuse me?”
“My life’s been trash lately, nothing’s working out, if Law Of Attraction was real, I’d be crushing it.”
“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, but you know your mother and I have never forced our beliefs on you. You’re free to believe in whatever you want.”
“Grr! That’s such a cop-out!”
“How so?”
“Because you just don’t want to prove LOA exists with –like– real science and stuff.”
“Ah yes, ‘real science and stuff’, how dare I avoid that when talking to a sulking child who hasn’t gotten her way.”
“I just–” Emma started, but I interrupted her.
“--Ah-ah. I know, you just want rock-solid scientific proof that the law of attraction is real, and you want dear old Dad to single-handedly do all the thinking for you until you’re convinced LOA is real.”
“Well, when you put it that way it makes me sound like a jerk.” Her lip folded open into a pout.
“I’m aware.” My sardonic grin was rubbing a bit of salt in her wound but I couldn’t help myself. I’d long-ago taught Emma that if she wants to understand something she has to be relaxed, calm, and open-minded, not frustrated, sulky, or whiny.
“Dad! C’mon!”
“Alright, fine, but you better remember this when I’m old and decrepit!”
“Oh, but Daddy-o, I thought you’re manifesting eternal youth.”
“Smart-ass. Do you want to know if LOA is real or not? 'Cause if so, we only have time for sarcastic barbs from one of us.”
“Okay, fine, please tell me…
…I’d love scientific proof for this LOA thing.”
“Well first, let me ask you this: what is science?”
Figure 1
“Huh? It’s, like, labs and experiments and stuff. Math, logic, physics, biology, whatever.”
“Those are some aspects involved in science, yes, but what’s the process of science? Of creating scientific proof?”
“I don’t know, it’s like when you run experiments & calculations and end up proving some formula or result with rock-solid, total, undeniable conclusiveness. Or something.”
“You’re getting closer, but think about this list of things:

• Knowing the earth is round
• Running a 4-minute mile
• Making a heavy metal craft fly
• Holding thousands of songs in our hand

Do you know what hundreds, even thousands, of 'educated' scientists of their time said about each of these things?”
“Not really…”
“They all said --with a certainty bordering on arrogance-- that these things were ‘impossible.’ So if science is all about rock-solid, undeniable conclusiveness, why are many scientists massively wrong about so many things?”
“Um, er, I…”
“Do you know that ‘intellectuals’ and ‘doctors’ in the medieval ages would press a sacrificed puppy or kitten onto a tumor because they thought that cancer was a ‘ravenous wolf’ that would ‘feed off the sacrificed animal rather than the human patient.’?”
“You’ve got to be making that up.”
“Nope, check out the book ‘Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything’ by Dr. Lydia Kang.”
“Fine but they were dumb back then, science is smarter now.”
“Is it? Because the ‘smart minds’ back then were 'certain' they were onto the truth and ‘doing the right thing’, and that attitude hasn’t really changed from talking to many scientists today, that I can tell. For example: One day scientists will post a study saying that we evolved from apes. The next day, other scientists will publish one saying we evolved from reptiles. On a third day, they’ll publish one that says we evolved from neither. It’s enough to make one’s head spin. Most science experiments I’ve seen have always boiled down to 'strong evidence' pointing one way, then it being disproved, followed by stronger evidence pointing another way. Science flip-flops direction many times over many experiments over many years. Have you talked to a self-proclaimed ‘logical’, ‘science-person’ recently? How did it go?”
“Sort of. I’ve had exes in STEM who claimed to be ‘hyper-logical’, but to me they were mostly arrogant know-it-alls. I’ve had science professors who wouldn’t let anyone question or argue with the textbook, even when my classmates were asking good questions and making real sense.”
“This often happens because our society praises logic, science, and ‘provable’ math so highly. We praise people who are seen to be ‘right’ and makes fun of those who dare to be ‘wrong’, for the most part. So even seemingly ‘logical’ people end up abandoning truth-seeking and true logic in favor of a pretense of logic and whatever makes them ‘look good’ or ‘wins debates’ or makes them ‘appear to be right.’”
“Including many scientists who have fears, foibles, and flaws that cause them to write things off as impossible or to attack others' work, I imagine.”
“Yes. A truly logical mind is an open-mind. If you encounter snap judgments, drastic assumption, and heavily agenda’d bias, chances are you’re not dealing with a very scientifically-minded person, at least for the moment. True scientists aren’t just able to admit being wrong, they actively seek it out because they care about finding the truth, not about being right. Thomas Edison conducted many experiments to get the lightbulb right and delivered his famous quote that went something like:

‘I’ve not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.’

To me, that’s the approach of a true scientist, and anyone who approaches things otherwise likely isn’t really seeking the truth properly.”

“So wait, are you saying most science-peeps are lying?”

“I’m not 'saying' anything, I’m mainly asking questions and making observations, so far at least. I want to be sure you understand that for decades... science will say ‘for certain’ that Einstein was right about X, Y, and Z. Then for decades after they’ll say ‘for certain’ that Einstein was wrong about X, Y, and Z. Science loves saying things 'for certain', but the thing most people don’t like to admit is... that science & math are often far less certain than they pretend to be. They're often inadequate for explaining major truths about life. And even when they do explain something, it often takes them years to prove something that poets, artists, or mystics already ‘knew’ and are benefitting from. Even comedians ‘get this’ stuff, often on deeper levels than many scientists may ever do.”
I then broke out into my best Bill Hicks impression as I quoted one of his stand-up routines:

“The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are...and it's fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder–
‘Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?’ And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, ‘Hey, don't worry; don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride.’ And we… kill… those people.
‘Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.’
It's just a ride... And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. *A choice, right now, between fear and love.** The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one.” - Bill Hicks, Comedian

“OK, um, first thank you for that incredibly accurate Bill Hicks monolog, Mr. Savant, and secondly, what am I supposed to be getting from all this… that ‘science sucks hard’?”
“No, not at all...

Science is amazing, and I’m a fan of logic, reasoning, experimentation, & the scientific method.”

“Right, but you’re saying that science isn’t about undeniable conclusiveness like I thought?”
“You tell me. Is math the path to all truth? Can it prove all the important parts of life? Is science all about undeniable proof & ego-riddled arrogance slamming down anyone who thinks differently? Or is it about gentle, open-minded exploration and experimentation? Is one version of science better than the other? Is it a blend of both? You tell me what science is to you, and then we’ll take the discussion forward from there.”
Emma’s mouth squinched to the side and her eyes rolled up the opposite direction, giving her a cute “I’m thinking” face. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel along to the beat of Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ while I waited.
“To me science is…

…A practical, truth-focused approach to logical answers about the world supported by strong evidence & found through experiment.

Figure 2
That’s why science can be wrong, or disagree, or change it’s mind over time, because even ‘strong evidence’ can be overturned with new information.”
“Fair enough, but in your definition is there room for ego? Arrogance? ‘Absolute certainty?’ Heavy-handed declarations of what’s ‘possible’ or what’s ‘impossible?’ Total undeniable evidence, as you said?”
“I guess not.”
“Good. Because it sounds like in your definition, science must be open-minded to being wrong. It sounds as if it’s open to an experiment only being 'right for a short while' until it’s disproved by even stronger evidence. It sounds as if that when scientists say ‘it’s not humanly possible to run a four-minute mile’, or ‘we can’t build a city on Pluto,’ it may only be a few decades until their rigid, overly-certain declarations are proven wrong. Am I understanding you correctly?”
“That’s the only reasonable approach to science I can think of. Anything else is just intellectual dick-measuring over ‘who is right’, just like my STEM-focused exes or my well-intentioned teachers at school, in my opinion.”
I opted not to reprimand Emma for her choice of language and continued on. “Ok, we’ll go with that then. But in that case, is it fair to ask for complete, total, and undeniable proof about Law Of Attraction?”
“Well, I mean, the fact that one plus one always equals two is complete and undeniable, right?”
Figure 3
“Maybe. Russell and Whitehead published the Principia Mathematica and in it, it took them 762 pages of dense mathematical notation just to prove one plus one equals two. :
"That sounds insane."
"Kind of, haha. And besides that, you actually said that one plus one always equals two, but to properly verify that, we’d need to check whether one plus one equals two until the end of time, which we don’t have the tech to do, so all we can say for certain is one plus one equals two most of the time, so far. On top of that ‘1’ isn’t an actual thing. ‘1’ isn’t an apple, or an orange, it’s an abstract concept that someone defined, and they use it to perform functions in ‘reality’, but again, ‘reality’ isn’t properly defined either. Like, is reality a personal mental construct determined by your senses, and if so, then is reality perceived the same for everyone? And even more importantly than all this, the realms of quantum physics we’re about to explore together may actually bring other parts of this into question.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. No. Probably not. But maybe. Potentially–
Look, I want to be clear, I’m not the world’s smartest scientist. I’m just doing my best to answer your question about Law Of Attraction. And like a ‘true’ scientist, you may need to let go of some heavy assumptions you may have about math, nature, physics, and so on. If you’re really interested in discovering the truth, assumptions can be major obstacles that prevent it.”

“So you’re saying I can’t even assume one plus one equals two?”

“Well, try not to get hung up on that specific equation, but, kind of. What I’m really saying is that even math isn’t the rock-solid proof you’re so hungry for, even though most people who aren’t mathematicians assume it is. You may want to check out Veritasium’s video called ‘Math Has A Fatal Flaw’, it talks about how there will always be ‘true statements’ that can’t be proven, and has fifteen million views last I checked. It doesn’t necessarily mean that one plus one doesn’t equal two, but more that one should be a bit more careful trusting math to explain important or deep truths about life. One of my favorite quotes from it goes: ‘There is a hole at the bottom of math… we will never know everything with certainty. There will always be true statements that can’t be proven. Check out this interesting food for thought from a Quora post:

‘In modern quantum physics it’s commonly known that the closer we look at reality and our physical world, the more it seems as though nothing is actually here or ‘true’. A quantum particle has the ability to be existing and non-existing at the same time depending on if it is observed. Things can be True, or False and ‘True and False.’ The closer we look at quantum particles, the more we see that everything is made of nothing. If everything is made of nothing then I would say 1 is nothing, and nothing + nothing is still equal to nothing. So therefore, 1+1=0.’”

“Er, so I can’t ask for total proof one-plus-one-equals-two-style?”
“Well, in your definition earlier, you said science is about seeking strong evidence but also being totally open to that evidence being overturned… even when we’re ‘sure’ we have the ‘right’ answers, correct?”
“Hmmm… I did say that, yeah.”
“So then what are you really asking for?”
“I don’t know. This is hurting my brain already.”
“Easy, relax, my sweet girl. I think I know what you’re getting at. What you’re really asking for is for…

‘The best insight science can offer regarding the law of attraction,’ yes?”

“Yeah! Thank you! See? You get me, you totally get me.”
“My pleasure. But I may have to challenge your thinking a bit before we proceed.”
“Don’t worry, I’m beauty and brains, I’m up for the challenge.”
“We’ll see. And if you are, then ask yourself this: why do you need scientific proof so badly? Many people succeed in many activities without knowing the ‘science’ behind them. Many chefs cook masterful meals without knowing food science. Many musicians create moving concertos without knowing music theory or the math behind sound frequencies. Many ‘manifestors’ manifest wonderful lives for themselves without getting hung up on the ‘science’ of it all. So wouldn’t it be better for you to simply apply yourself to practicing Law Of Attraction and manifestation, rather than wasting your childhood years –or this car ride– on scientific study?”
“Interesting question. I just want to know. I dunno. I haven’t really thought about why.”
“Could it be because recently your life hit a rough patch, and you’re looking for a scapegoat to blame? Or could it be that you’re not great at ‘believing’ in things or trying out new ideas for yourself, so you want ‘science’ to do the heavy-lifting for you? Could it be that you want LOA to be real and true, but an attitude of doubt and skepticism is easy and familiar so you stick to it rather than something more sincere?”
“Hey!”
“Hey what?”
“Hey, those aren’t very flattering things to suggest.”
“I wasn’t trying to flatter, Em. I thought you wanted the truth, which means asking ourselves the ‘hard questions’ sometimes, right? And you still haven’t answered me, were any of my ideas the real reason you’re so ‘needy’ for scientific explanations all of a sudden?”
Emma’s shoulders deflated as she sighed. “All of your ideas are right. I hate to admit it but my gut is screaming at me saying ‘he is right and you know it,’ so there. Fine. I admit it. I have bad-faith motivations for even asking these questions. I’m frustrated and depressed and just want to poke holes in people’s chirpily optimistic Law Of Attraction crap. Are you happy now, Dad?”
I almost laughed out loud at how absurd this all was, but I felt Emma would’ve assumed I was laughing at her. It’d probably cause her to snap. So instead I did my best to reassure her that I had her best interests in mind here.
“My darling, my entire heart is focused on helping you, but to get at the deepest truths in life isn't a journey for the faint of heart, and it’s not for people who can’t even own their reasons for wanting knowledge. I’m about to spend a tremendous amount of time and energy helping you with your dilemma, and I’m not going to invest all that for someone who can’t even admit the truth of why she’s so obsessed with ‘scientific proof’ all of a sudden.”
“Ugh, do you always have to be so infuriatingly… right? God!”
I chuckled. “Like I said earlier, I’m more than happy to be ‘wrong’, because it helps me get closer to truth, but… do you really want help from someone who’s constantly wrong instead, advising you?”
“Touche. Good point. Well, as annoying as it is, thank you, I guess.”
“My pleasure. So… back to the topic at hand. We agree on what science is, at least for our chat today: Science is a practical, truth-focused approach to logical answers about the world supported by strong evidence & found through experiment. And we agree you’re not seeking ‘undeniable proof’ of the law of attraction, (because conclusions from science are continually contradicted, overturned, and generally ‘bad’ at addressing life’s deepest questions & truths) and you’ll instead be satisfied with a fairly comprehensive summary of our most up-to-date science on the matter, yes?”
“Yes!”
“Great, then let’s see how much we can help you out. One small disclaimer though: Scientific explanations are often long-winded, boring, or complex. I’ll do my best to simplify things, but that means I’ll be skipping a lot of important details, so if you really care about this stuff, you’ll have to google the scientific studies and find citations on your own, there’s plenty of them out there.”
Figure 4
“What do you mean?”
“For example, I may quickly summarize the ‘double-slit’ experiment, and while it’s been replicated many times in many different scientific studies, there’s a lot of nuances to its discovery and the conclusions drawn from it, so my quick summary will skip a lot of details and citations, if you care about them, you’ll have to look them up and do your own research. Are you cool with that?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got hands and a brain, I can google if I need to, I just know you’ll break things down easier for me, to at least get the ball rolling. What’s this ‘double-slit’ thing you’re talking about?”
“The ‘double-slit’ experiment is a cornerstone of quantum mechanics, and referred to often because of its ground-breaking implications.”

“Wait, what’s the difference between quantum physics, and quantum mechanics?”

“Quantum physics is a branch of science. Quantum mechanics is the set of principles that explain the behavior of matter and energy.”
“Oh, so quantum physics is the area of science that focuses on the principles of quantum mechanics.”
“You got it, though I, and many others, kind of use the terms interchangeably anyway.”
“Aight, I get it…

So the double-slit experiment is basically the bedrock of most quantum physics understandings?”

“Exactly.”
“Tell me about it, please.”
“Streams of ‘elementary particles’ (like photons or electrons) are fired through two very thin slits. Got it so far?”
“Sure, like firing two streams of tennis balls through slots in a wooden fence, right?”
“Basically. Plus, there's a screen behind the fence that captures the ‘impact’ of the electrons. Anyway, if electrons are particles –or ‘balls’ as you say– the experiment should show the impact of those electrons on the other side in two straight lines on the screen, right?”
“Sure, two straight lines is the only place the particles could land, that's how the slits would guide them.”
“That’s what everyone expected, but instead of two lines of impacts revealed on the screen, scientists instead saw a ‘graduated spread’ of impacts that they call an ‘interference pattern’, instead of two solid lines of particle-impacts. And do you know what this pattern on the screen means?”
Figure 5
“I have no idea… something weird is going on?”
“Hah, that’s one way to phrase it. It’s kind of what eleven-year old Alice thought when she was learning about the double-slit experiment too. The ‘interference pattern’ is what you would get if you fired two bodies of water through the slits instead. It's what you'd get if you fired waves (not particles) through the slits. And the two waves would ‘blend together’ on the other side of the slit, creating ‘ripple impacts’ on the screen.”

“So the double-slit experiment proves that electrons are waves, not particles?”

“Sort of. Classical physics has long seen electrons as ‘particles’, but the double-slit experiment proves they must be waves, so science is now exploring particle-wave duality, and this particle-wave duality brings up all kinds of questions like ‘what is actually real?’, ‘is anything real?’ and ‘are we controlling reality by turning waves into particles?’ Because all this implies that there’s a ‘quantum world’ made up of waves and a ‘real world’ where all the waves have ‘collapsed’ into particles that we can measure, experience, and interact with. The experiment also suggests that us human beings, through the act of measuring, perceiving, and interacting with things are ‘collapsing’ waves from the quantum world, into ‘real experiences’ here in the real world, literally creating our own reality, somehow. We think. But science doesn’t really know why ‘measuring’ things collapses their wave-state into a particle-state instead.”
“Whoa. This got crazy deep, crazy fast.”
“Yep, but that’s what happens when you want to discuss the law of attraction, manifestation, and how it’s possible for the mind to create reality. These aren’t exactly snack-sized subjects, hon. The double-slit experiment by itself has been examined thousands of times from different angles and I can’t get into it all here, but if you want to know you may want to check out Veritasium’s YouTube again and watch ‘Parallel Worlds Probably Exist. Here’s Why’, or this summary called ‘If You Don’t Understand Quantum Physics, Try This!’ from Domain Of Science.”
“Fair enough.”
“Anyway, since this experiment, quantum mechanics now describes all ‘particles’ using a ‘wave function’, which treats everything as a wave that becomes a particle the moment it is ‘measured.’”
“Huh?”
“Classical physics says that everything is made of ‘solid particles’ that are there when we’re not looking at them. Quantum physics says nothing really ‘exists’ when we’re not looking at them. They’re just waves of probability, that ‘become real’ the instant they’re measured, observed, or interacted with. The thing is, since we live in reality, we’re always measuring, perceiving, or interacting with things, so we’re continually ‘collapsing the wave functions’ and making things real just by paying attention to them.”
“Double huh?”
“Yeah, this is really the foundation of quantum mechanics and I’m doing a terrible job at explaining it, I apologize. Let me try again. When measuring something, whether it’s as small as an electron or as big as a galaxy, our particles (and the air particles) are ‘entangled’ with whatever we’re measuring. This is called ‘environmental decoherence’, and it means that the cool ‘quantum nature’ of particles, that are ‘controllable’ by our consciousness, ‘disappears’ as soon as we put our attention on things, and those ‘waves’ instead become real, solid, particle-based experiences for us to… uh… experience.”
“Dad, you’ve explained censorship to me easily. You’ve explained ‘communication’ to me easily. You’ve explained the blockchain-game Splinterlands to me easily–”
“--But I’m failing hard here, I know. Em, I really wish there was a simple, easy explanation for these strange aspects of reality and quantum mechanics, I really do. Look, let’s try this, take a quick look at Dominc Walliman’s Quantum Physics For 7-Year Olds. The first half talks about how people feel guilty for ‘not understanding’ things, but how we can get our understanding back on track is by stopping the conversation and asking for further clarification. He encourages us to ask questions and never feel bad for not knowing something. He also emphasizes how important it is to explain things simply for others and the importance of ‘good science communication.’”
“OK, he definitely does get how hard it is for laypeople to understand science, but he also knows how to simplify and solve that. He actually started even simpler than you did. He said ‘quantum physics is the description of the smallest thing in our universe,’ even smaller than cells or atoms. He says ‘quantum physics is the study of how these tiny things behave and operate,’ and it’s really important because the small things make up all the ‘big’ realities we experience. Quantum mechanics are the foundational rules of our universe, and they’re pretty weird rules.”
“Sure, but maybe that video wasn’t very helpful? It doesn’t explain the ‘quantum measurement problem’ I was trying to get at.”
“Well he talks about MRI machines, that might explain it?”
“Magnetic Resonance Imaging machines? I can’t recall, what did he say about them?”
“He said they make the tiny hydrogen atoms in our body ‘spin’ clockwise and counter-clockwise at the same time (which is a quantum behavior), and by doing that, they don’t really ‘exist’ anymore, which is how MRI machines can actually ‘see’ inside our bodies. This is because we’re all made of ‘quantum stuff’ or something like that. Spooky, AF.”
“Yeah, it takes a bit to wrap your head around, but if you don’t understand this, you also won’t understand the ‘Observer Effect’, ‘Quantum Entanglement’, ‘Schrodinger’s Cat’, ‘Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle’, ‘Superposition’, ‘Decoherence’, and more. And there’s tons of information out there on it, because quantum physics is one of the most understood, most successful scientific theories out there. It’s helped us invent computers, lasers, digital cameras, nuclear plants, and more. You —and everything around you— is made up of quantum particles and subject to the rules of quantum physics, even if we don’t realize it. Dr. Rosenblum and Kuttner emphasize that:

'Quantum theory works perfectly; no prediction of the theory has ever been shown in error. It is the theory basic to all physics, and thus to all science…it is the most battle-tested theory in all of science. It has no competitors.' – Rosenblum & Kuttner, Quantum Enigma: the Spooky Interaction of Mind and Matter.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second, you just hit me with a hundred terms that make no sense. I’m lost.”
“I know, I did that on purpose, because quantum physics is basically an entirely new language, with words that describe entirely new things. Anyone who doesn’t know the language will have a lot of trouble understanding anything useful.”
Figure 5
“Great, you could’ve just told me you can’t answer my question about proving Law Of Attraction in the beginning and saved us a ton of time.”
“Now, now, don’t throw a fit. First of all, we have nothing but time on this drive, and secondly I am going to answer your question, it just might not be in the way you prefer. The truth isn’t always packaged in a nice little bow or a quick sound bite from an influencer…

Sometimes, to understand the truth you have to do real, honest, mental work. You have to put in effort.

You may even have to learn a new language.”
Emma folded her arms and jutted out her chin, giving me the silent treatment.
“Em, don’t be a spoiled brat. Understanding life and mastering the law of attraction can be a game-changer, but it may take actual mental effort. Can you get on board with that?”
“Fine. I guess so. If I wanted to code a game, I’d have to learn a programming language, if I want to reprogram my life, it makes sense I’d have to do the same thing.”
“Good. That’s more like it, now I can’t teach you all these terms here and now, you’ll definitely have to look some up, but I’ll do my best. Now, do you understand that unlike classical physics, which saw everything as solid, tangible particles, quantum physics sees everything as waves, in flux, which only become ‘real, tangible particles’ once someone (an observer) takes measure of them?”
“Yeah, while you were rambling I looked at the diagrams in that video you mentioned and it helped. I think I get it.”

“Good, because that is the ‘Observer Effect.’

And it’s the basis for how we ‘create our own reality.’ Can you tell me why?”
“Because when, how, and with what attitude an observer takes stock of any ‘wave’, influences whatever kind of particle they end up with?”
“Bingo. And since we’re observing waves/particles all the time, we’re constantly influencing what happens in reality, whether we realize it or not.”
“And that’s the basic science at the core of the law of attraction?”
“Yes, that’s a big part of it. But quantum physics is a fairly new area of science, and it’s not fully proven, and there’s lots more questions and active-research going on, and people are constantly trying to ‘poke holes’ in it or ‘dismiss’ developments in quantum science, just as science once did the same thing to people exploring airplane flight, the four-minute mile, and the earth being round. Quantum physics’s connection with the law of attraction gets far more nuanced than I’ve explained here, and we can explore that if you like.”
“It sounds like there is a ‘but…’ implied here.”
“You’re right. I was going to say but…

…We can also approach LOA more from a ‘human psychology’ perspective instead of a physics-based one.

Psychology is less ‘solid’ and ‘law-based’ than physics but the patterns, trends, and conclusions that arise from scientific studies on the ‘Placebo Effect’, ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’, ‘Streisand Effect’, ‘Victim Mentality’, ‘Psychological Reactance’, the ‘Pygmalion Effect’, ‘Perverse Results’ and more point very strongly towards evidence for Law Of Attraction. It’s also easier for many people to grasp. I can cite substantial studies into the power of how visualization helps athletes win contests better than those who refuse to visualize, and most people tend to ‘get it’, so it might be an easier path for you to see the proof of Law Of Attraction you asked for.”
“Hmm, but visualization doesn’t work for everyone, and it’s not totally reproducible, and we don’t know exactly how it works, it’s just a bunch of studies that show correlation, right?”
“Oooh, my daughter tossing around intellectual words like ‘correlation’, bravo.”
“Shush Dad, just because I say ‘like’ and ‘whatever’ sometimes doesn’t mean I don’t have a brain.”
“I wouldn’t dream of saying otherwise, Emma. And you’re right, like I said, psychology’s proof for law of attraction is a bit ‘less science-y’ to some people, or less ‘solid’ than the evidence that can come from physics, since physics deals with the ‘laws’ of nature, the physical world we experience, and the universe, whereas human psychology deals with the ‘black box’ of how people think, which we can’t really test and measure very accurately, at least compared to physics-based stuff. That said, although visualization was seen as ‘new age hype’ for decades, research has shown a strong scientific basis for how and why visualization works.”

“So visualization is one LOA technique that is scientifically proven?”

“Pretty much. It’s now a ‘well-known fact’ that we stimulate the same brain regions when we visualize something and when we actually experience that same thing. There’s an interesting video about Connor McGregor’s visualization techniques on ‘Mastery Blueprint’ on YouTube, and hearing his coach talk about it may interest you. Similar applies to Michael Phelps for winning his numerous gold medals in swimming. The most impressive use of visualization may be done by free-climber Alex Honnold. You could try and tell any of these massively impressive performers in their field that the law of attraction is false and visualization doesn’t work, but you’d just be a voice in their ear, while they have years of masterful performance primed by visualization arguing otherwise.”
Figure 6
“Well then, how come my experience with visualization has sucked? I visualized getting that modeling contract and that audition, and I got nothing.”
“Oh my sweet girl, I know you want the answer to be ‘the science is wrong’, ‘the studies are wrong’, ‘the athletes are wrong’... but that’s just not it. You got no results because your visualization isn’t up to their level. You haven’t practiced it enough. You don’t do it with a wholesome attitude. Your mind is littered with doubt, cynicism, and skepticism.”

“What’s wrong with that? It’s normal to doubt and be skeptical.”

“I know my love, it is normal. But the people you look up to, and the people who succeed are not normal. They’re the opposite of normal, and they do ‘not normal’ things, such as releasing their attachment to doubt, cynicism, and skepticism. They’re open-minded and eager to give things the ‘old college try’, they’re eager to experiment, and if it doesn’t work, they’re eager to experiment again, see if they went wrong somewhere, and blame no one for their failures. They’re not looking to blame others, or blame science, or blame the law of attraction… they’re just applying themselves, practicing, and actively refining their approach til they get results. They don’t sulk, they don’t demand answers from science, they experiment with a healthy attitude, and become their own scientists. They discover subtle quirks of visualization that others don’t know, they even explore contradictory evidence for themselves by reading articles like ‘Throw Away Your Vision Board‘ by Neil Farber M.D, Ph.D, but often rather than discouraging them from visualization, it only makes their visualization practice even better. Can you honestly say you’ve been approaching your visualization with similar ‘not normal’ fervor?”
“Dang. Wow. I mean… I want to say ‘yes,’ but I’m obviously not.”
“Exactly, and the same goes for almost everyone whining about the ineffectiveness of visualization or the invalidity of the law of attraction. They’re usually people with poor attitudes, narrow minds, and ridiculously poor practice habits and personal experimentation.”
“I’m starting to see that, but honestly Dad…

…You sound kind of biased against LOA-haters yourself.”

“Owch. You wound me, Em.” I quipped as I pulled off the main road into a McDonald’s parking lot.
“Well, you have been pretty hard on me and anyone else who’s not a ‘true scientist’ in their approach to life.”
“True, but it’s not because I’m biased against them, I was one of them. I was arrogant, conceited, entitled, skeptical, cynical, bitter, resentful, self-righteous, close-minded, and more. Most cynics are not focused on value, they’re not focused on taking life forward. At least most I’ve encountered aren’t, including younger me.

‘What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.’ - Oscar Wilde

Although my parents were amazing, somehow I’d picked up a pretty terrible mindset for most of my childhood, and I was that way to an extreme degree. It left me homeless, isolated, broke, depressed, and suicidal. And what got me out of that dark pit was putting my assumptions away and adjusting my approach to life. I was still my logical self, and I still had a ‘healthy skepticism’, but my attitude was now much gentler, I spoke less in absolutes, I embraced gray areas, I admitted that math, science, and logic might not know everything, or even a lot, about how to navigate life successfully. I began applying myself to more practical experiments in my own life and trying ‘crazy things’ like ‘giving up’, ‘letting go’, ‘embracing death’ and other things I’d been railing against most of my younger years. I stopped caring about appearances and began caring more about what my gut, instincts, and conscience were guiding me toward. I cared more about choosing my actions out of love, rather than fear.”
“And most doubt, skepticism, and cynicism have roots in fear. Yeah, got it, I see where you’re going with this.”
“Not all, but a lot, yes. And since I’ve been the hyper-logical type for decades, and I’ve been the intuitive spiritual type for decades, I’ve now realized there is merit to both sides, and being at all closed or resistant to either is really just putting oneself at a disadvantage in life. I’m not biased against LOA-haters, I just feel it’s important to emphasize the importance of open-mindedness on either side of the ‘is LOA real’ issue, and discourage any form of dogma, ‘scientific’ or otherwise.”
“Understood, in discussions like this, I can see why you’d harp on about open-minded vs. close-minded, but can we get back to the quantum physics stuff? It was actually pretty interesting.”
“Sure, watch this while I pull into this McDonald’s and, uh, use the facilities.” I texted Emma a link to Dean Radin’s most comprehensive experiment results in his video New Experiments Show Consciousness Affects Matter ~ Dean Radin, PhD.
“Cool, I’ll check it out, do you mind bringing me some chicken nuggies?”
“Of course it's my pleasure, Em,” I said as I exited the car and started towards McDonald’s. "We'll continue our chat when I get back and discuss Einstein, Consciousness, and Parallel Worlds."

CONTINUED IN PART TWO.

Hello everyone,
This is my first post, Hope it is okay to talk on this topic. It has been my 5 years in the actuarial exam progress to get the ASA. I did not graduate from Actuarial field. So , I take all the exams without any creditial. I start my first exam during working in the same time. So, It's quire really tired when it takes too long time in this journey. I think I am a well-prepared person, that's why I never get fail from any exam yet. Here is the lists that I already passed - Exam P - Exam FM - Exam C - Exam IFM - Exam LTAM - VEEs - FAP
... so it is only Exam PA left before APC. I did take exam PA on 14 Dec 2021 which I prepared for it about 5 months. I never know anything about R before. So, it's quite hard for me this time.
On the exam day, I have completed around only 7 tasks from all 11 tasks... which I can assume I may get the first fail this time and need to re-sitting in Apr.
However, I just start my new company and really want to focus on my working too. It is many thing to manage and I feel not ready to back to prepare for nex sitting yet.
I feel I almost give up on it, I come to reddit to check about how people think on Exam PA last sitting almost every week. And I do not know how to move on from it this time :(
Any suggestion?