Hello, I am an incoming freshman and I was wondering something about the Entry Level Writing Evaluation. It says that "All students entering UC as first-year students should fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement by the end of the first year of enrollment at Berkeley," yet it keeps prompting me to sign up for it by May 15th through texts and emails. Should I be signing up for it or is it just a reminder? I also have a qualifying test score so I do not believe I have to take it either way. Thanks for the help!

BA Poly Sci/History, MS National Security, American citizen going back between USA and South America. Former High school history teacher. Current online tutor digital nomad. I love teaching this really not desired and unprofitable subject called history/geopolitics. My knowledge in this field is autistic level sharp. I got tired of teaching to HS students because there is no interest in 90%. My props to those who do. 20 years ago it would’ve been clear to get a PhD. Now, everyone says do not. But I love this field and can teach it well. Oh here’s the problem - I’m 39 and not wealthy.
Is there anyway I can work on a PhD relatively quickly while working full time? Hybrid classes? Or am I just absolutely cooked? I think I’m done for but why TF not ask Reddit first.

Hey!! So i come from a not so well aware academic background My mother left her college after 1st year as she got married My father on the other hand started a small business and enjoyed his 20s and 30s with his friends at clubs/ bars Now the business has deteriorated And since both of them doesn't posses any relevant or good degree my family income has deteriorated badly Also to add the business partners are not so kind My father is mainly dependent on my grandfather who did a govt job Now you may ask why am i saying all these? Well i stood out from my family crowd Opted for science , started preparing for jee couldn't crack it 3 times ( 1 attempt in the same year and 2 in drop year) I came to know about bitsat and it gave me a hope I dont want to do 5 lpa job I aim for bigger amount Ok then they came to know i am preparing for bits Without doing any background check they declared it as a non trustable institution and compared it with some local private college My mother especially is forcing me to study in that local college( typical mentality) And after hearing the fees they bursted out Even after knowing the scholarship schemes they are pretending as if its all fake They called someone idk whom and he said bits give only 40 percent scholarship to the needy rest is all fake In order to make them trust a little I told about the assistance program with stipend that bits give But they said on my face that teachers will only choose students who will be in physical relationship with them! I talked to one of the students there and he completely disagreed on this and said the scenario is lot different They said narcotics is common there and i will get into human trafficking if i go there The thing that is irritating me the most is that they are not doing any solid background check and still criticising me on the basis of it. I cant fight anymore I am already exhausted by jee How to deal with this? Any suggestions for making my parents believe in bits?

Teen Son Ruining our Life
Where do I even start? My soon to be 16 year old son is destroying anything good about himself or his future. Is this typical for ADHD-ers?
A little history:
Our son “Mason” was born at 33 weeks and was hands down the WORST baby that, to this day, I have ever seen. Blood curdling screams for the first full year of his life. Doctors had no answer, just that it was colic. It was a dark time.
After the colic came the night terrors. Like clockwork every night 1-3am was spent with him screaming like he was being murdered. We couldn’t wake him or console him. We just prayed he’d stop and the neighbors wouldn’t call the police.
Then like magic, he seemed to turn into a sweet boy and ages 4 and 5 were great. Around age 6, he started getting sneaky with his tactics and we found him with his hands around his 3 year old sister’s throat one day. That’s when I knew I did not give birth to a normal child.
From ages 6-10 he didn’t get into much trouble and we kept him busy with various sports. He’s incredibly smart and slightly autistic. He had friends and was living a pretty normal life.
Around age 11/12 he got his first game system and computer and that’s when our lives went to hell in a hand basket with him. It wasn’t the gaming that was the problem, it was the forums and Discord. The stuff I saw him writing on there was straight up criminal. Disgusting filthy language riddled with violence and misogyny. I know boys say not so great things amongst each other, but the things he was saying was psychotic.
I immediately got him into seeing a psychiatrist. He was diagnosed ADD with a hint of Autism. We put him on meds which was a nightmare in itself. Nothing worked. His body would metabolize the meds like water. We even had him genetically tested to see if his liver really is processing them way too quickly. Every med made him moody and aggressive.
He’s now 15 almost 16. He lies constantly, has an insane need for justice, will yell at teachers if he doesn’t agree with something they say to another student. He was s3xting he his girlfriend, she may now be pregnant and we aren’t sure if it’s his (she’s barely 15 and a mess of a person herself), he’s an absolute spaz, he has zero communication skills and talks like he’s reading from a script, he argues EVERYTHING, I hate to say this but he’s can be incredibly dumb. He has zero common sense. He says things that make absolutely NO sense. He talks just to sound “smart” and doesn’t even think about what he’s saying. He paces the floor constantly, fidgets like a drug addict, and says extremely creepy things to fellow students. Female students have reported him for making them uncomfortable. I get calls from the principal because they are super concerned about him. The school has had the police talk with him. He will lie even though EVERYONE knows the truth. It’s beyond an awkward Autistic kid.
Just tonight we found texts again between him and his “ex” girlfriend. He has her name in his phone as whre. I *begged him to just do something right. He just stares at me blankly. He calls us crazy to people in his texts. He’s obsessed with his “ex” girlfriend. They are skipping classes to “hang out” in the school stairwell.
When confronted he just shrugs and says he doesn’t know why he does what he does. He admits he’ll do what ever it takes to feel like he got justice. You can physically see him disassociate when being talked to. He’s extremely selfish.
Here’s the kicker, he’s INCREDIBLY book smart. He could go to any collage, study any major and do well. We have told him “Do well in school, don’t get in trouble and we’ll send you to ANY collage you want” we tell him we’ll pay for any advanced training or AP classes he wishes to take, we are willing to do absolutely anything to get him right.
I truly think we might be dealing with an ADHD sociopath.
He’s at his therapists office as we speak.
Anyone ever meet or know a kid like this?!

i'm a freshman who is currently applying to go to LSMSA next year. (all i have left is the school tour and interview)
i have done a LOT of research in the past few months about this school since one of my teachers presented it to me, (i've always gotten great grades in school and she told me it was a good fit for my academic level) and i'm very excited to go if i do get accepted.
if/before i get accepted, i want to know: what is this school really like? the food, the workload, the living situation, anything and everything. what can i expect from this school if i get accepted? i'd love to hear from any current/former students about this, since like i mentioned, i'm super excited.
thanks!

Title: "Cult of the Cherry Blossoms"
In the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, there exists an unusual high school known as "Sakura Academy." Hidden behind cherry blossom trees, this school harbors a secret: its students are reincarnated cult leaders from history. Let's meet our four protagonists:

1. Fiona Phelps – The fiery redhead and leader of the "Westboro Blossoms." She's passionate about picketing school events, but instead of signs that read "God Hates Fags," she now holds up signs that say "Free Hugs."
   
2. Daisy Koresh – The mysterious transfer student with piercing blue eyes. She heads the "Branch Divas" club, where they practice fire dancing during lunch breaks. Her sermons now involve encouraging self-love and acceptance.
   
3. Juniper Jones – The charismatic girl who can convince anyone to drink the school cafeteria's questionable milk. She's the head of the "Jonestown Tea Society," where they brew herbal concoctions and discuss world peace.
   
4. Lily Hubbard – The brainy girl who always has her nose in ancient scrolls. She leads the "Scientology Scholars," researching past lives and auditing their classmates' chakras. Her catchphrase: "Clear your mind, clear your acne."
   

Episode 1: "Cherry Blossom Revelation"
The girls discover their true identities during a cherry blossom viewing party. Fiona, Daisy, Juniper, and Lily gather under the blooming trees, their memories awakening like petals unfurling.
"We were cult leaders?" Fiona gasps, adjusting her flower crown.
"I remember now," Daisy says, her eyes distant. "The compound, the flames...and the dance-offs."
"I used to preach about the end of the world," Juniper admits. "Now I just want a decent cup of tea."
Lily pores over her scrolls. "Our past lives hold the key to enlightenment. And maybe algebra."
As the girls navigate high school life, they face challenges:

• Club Recruitment: Fiona recruits members for the "Free Hugs Club," but her signs confuse everyone. Daisy's fire dancing auditions attract the fire department.
  
• Prom Night: Juniper insists on a "Kool-Aid" punch bowl for prom, causing panic among the teachers. Lily calculates the odds of romance using ancient numerology.
  
• Rival Cults: The "Heaven's Cheerleaders" (formerly Heaven's Gate) challenge them to a cheer-off. Fiona's pom-poms read, "Love and Tolerance."
  

"We're not just teenage girls," Daisy says one day. "We're rewriting our legacies."
"And maybe," Juniper adds, "we'll find enlightenment in trigonometry."
As cherry blossoms fall, the "Cult of the Cherry Blossoms" dances its way into the hearts of Tokyo. Their motto: "Live, laugh, and lead—without the brainwashing."
And so begins their extraordinary journey—a mix of teenage drama, spiritual awakening, and a dash of absurdity. Because even cult leaders deserve a second chance...and a good slice of cherry blossom cake.
Disclaimer: This anime is purely fictional and meant for entertainment. Any resemblance to real cult leaders is coincidental. Please don't try fire dancing at home. 🔥🌸
The anime characters were inspired by real-life cult leaders, but their traits are fictionalized. Here's the breakdown:

1. Fiona Phelps (Westboro Blossoms): Based on Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church. In the anime, she's fiery and passionate about picketing, but now holds signs that say "Free Hugs."
   
2. Daisy Koresh (Branch Divas): Inspired by David Koresh of the Branch Davidians. Mysterious and with piercing blue eyes, she leads fire dancing sessions and preaches self-love.
   
3. Juniper Jones (Jonestown Tea Society): Modeled after Jim Jones of the Jonestown cult. Charismatic and obsessed with tea, she now seeks world peace instead of mass suicide.
   
4. Lily Hubbard (Scientology Scholars): A brainy girl like L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. She researches past lives and audits classmates' chakras.
   

Remember, this is all fictional fun! 😊🌸
Certainly! Let's introduce three more female cult leaders to "Cult of the Cherry Blossoms":

1. Sakura Asahara (Aum Shinrikyo Sisters): Sakura is the enigmatic transfer student with an affinity for chemistry. She brews mysterious potions in the science lab, hoping to find enlightenment without the sarin gas. Her catchphrase: "Alchemy over anarchy."
   
2. Harmony Jeffs (FLDS Flower Maidens): Harmony, the soft-spoken girl, leads the "Flower Maidens." They wear pastel dresses and practice synchronized gardening. Instead of polygamy, they promote sisterhood and sustainable farming.
   
3. Kiku Raniere (NXIVM Navigators): Kiku is the tech-savvy genius who runs the "NXIVM Navigators" club. They optimize schedules, track chakra progress on spreadsheets, and offer self-improvement workshops. Her motto: "Empowerment through Excel."
   

These leaders add a delightful twist to Sakura Academy's already eccentric student body! 🌸

So i (22F) am trying to figure out if i was groomed in high school by a female teacher. Im genuinely unsure but i feel uneasy about the situation so advice would be appreciated.
Apologies for how long this is going to be. So in 2016, i meet a student teacher shadowing at my high school and im immediately entranced by her. She’s mysterious and pretty and smart. Im 14 at the time and she’s about 26. So i find her very fascinating and i try and get to know her, she’s fun to talk to and very comforting. Then in 2017 she becomes my actual teacher and no longer a student and im going out of my way to talk to her and we get closer because of it, i was also struggling terribly with my mental health and was desperate for any support where i could find it so i saw her as a maternal confidant and nothing more.
But as the year goes on, her and get closer and we hang out in her classroom alone after school. We hug when greeting each other and she buys me gifts, she says im her favourite and very mature for my age, confides in me about her own life and leans on me for emotional support(im only 15 now) We become so close that other teachers tell her to stop spending time with me and im told to stay away from her. She tries to distance herself but ends up failing and we stay close. Then i leave that high school and go to another one but now since she’s not my teacher anymore, she’s okay with us getting even closer. We hang out outside of school a lot(always alone), she tells me everything about her life, including her sex life. This goes on for the rest of high school so all while im still a minor and we continue getting very close but nothing sexual ever happens. She continued to lean on me for emotional support and i had to talk her down a few times.
But then when i graduate and become an adult, we start to drift apart as the years go by. And she would never hang out with me and my friends, despite us all being 20+ now. Until recently she just ghosted me completely, which is actually what made me question this whole thing. Why were we ‘best friends’ while i was still a minor but now that im an adult, she won’t reply to my messages anymore?
So basically, im just trying to figure out if this was grooming even though nothing physical happened? I just feel like if she was a male teacher instead, the whole situation would be viewed differently but i feel gross and upset about the situation now that i view it from an adult POV. I would never be friends with a 15/16/17 year old.
Any advice? Thanks for reading this all

I’m a first year 8th grade teacher under a one year contract with the prospect of extending next year.
I haven’t had any issues with parents, students, co-workers (I’ve become friends with most of my co-workers). I’ve gotta compliments from parents who have been quite critical of the school in the past. I’ve created great relationships with my students and often go to their sports games/events just to show up.
My first review was a little rocky, my second review was better and my third review was best.
I found out today that my admin is telling other teachers that I don’t relate my content to the kids lives in my lessons….but i feel that’s actually been my strong suit and I’ve been doing that all year.
So I find out admin opened the job for next year both internally and externally leaving me to interview again in a much larger pool, this time in front of a panel of the coworkers/friends in my department that I’ve been working with for a year who also say they’d love to see me back next year…..fine I accepted it and am awaiting an interview date.
I have yet to receive communication on when the interview will take place other than “soon” and after school today my admin walks up to me knowing full well I submitted my application and says “I hope you’re applying to other places” (which of course I have been). Taken off guard I stutter and just say “of course” and she walks out.
I felt completely crushed, as if she walked up to me and said “your fired”…
Am I over thinking this?

I love reading classic literature, specifically works from the 19th century, so I wanted to write a fan work for this game with that feeling:
“You are quite ridiculous!” came the vivacious and teasing voice of one student passing by the open window. This declaration was answered by the distinct and familiar laughter of another, carried on the autumn wind and drenched in the odor of decaying foliage and the promise of rain.
From his seat in the west wing of the library, parchment and tomes stacked beside him, Ominis Gaunt followed the sound until it vanished completely beyond the courtyard, sensations of uneasy feeling coloring his neck and ears. After a pause, he regained his senses. He shook his head, as if banishing the regretful thought that had then stolen into his mind.
“Why does he keep volunteering himself on her behalf?” He whispered, thinking of the owner of that feminine voice – a new fifth-year student at Hogwarts - an anomaly on its own merit - who had, in half the time succeeding her arrival, attained the magnetic affections of his oldest friend, Sebastian Sallow. “Of course - it’s because she’s new and decidedly beautiful.” Ominis told himself, merely speculating on the state of her physiognomy by the lilting cadence of her voice and the faint wisps of form his wand could communicate to him at a distance. Being blind since birth, he, out of necessity, had developed a magical ‘seeing eye' with the ebony tool he now pressed between his right forefinger and the book in his lap.
He hadn’t dared approach her directly when she’d first entered the Slytherin common room a month prior, for a frenzy of students had erupted around her the moment she’d set foot in it. From there, rumors spread like bees pollinating a garden after a long and depressing winter:
“The new girl had a ministry escort!”
“She was attacked by a dragon!”
“No, she rode the dragon!”
“Supposedly she was a squib before…”
“That can’t be - I heard she's a transfer student and can speak seven languages!”
“That’s a cover - her real secret was that she was privately tutored and has rare and explosively dangerous magic!”
These accounts became increasingly absurd because no one truly knew anything for certain, thus making everything possible. The girl herself was peculiarly private but charmingly polite - a combination that instantly made any would-be-pryer retreat into stuttering awkwardness. They did at the very least glean her name, which quickly became the subject of their fantastical speculations: Mélisande Clarusia Warwick.
From within his pocket, Ominis retrieved the note Sebastian’s owl had delivered him that day:
“Ominis,
Apologies for the abrupt change of plans, but our anticipated study session this afternoon must be postponed. Professor Weasley has graciously requested I accompany ‘MC’ to Hogsmeade for the replenishment of her class supplies, a task I’m sure you know I could hardly decline, given my inclination towards gentlemanly conduct. Incidentally, I cannot help but suspect Mel’s humble dismissal of her exceptional dueling prowess belies a deliberate modesty; there is undoubtedly more to her than meets the eye.
Regardless, I’ll make it up to you! If I’m not in the common room by nightfall, you know where to find me.
Sebastian.”
It did not escape Ominis’s notice that Sebastian, after weathering defeat by her in a duel during their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class together, had taken personal interest in MC and even dubbed her as such - among other names - needling her about the verbose nature of her formal title. Further, it was uncharacteristic of Sebastian to cancel a study session, seeing as he typically made any excuse to visit the library on behalf of research for his ill sister, Anne… nevermind the fact that Ominis could not recall any instance in recent memory where Sebastian had canceled on him, specifically.
After a moment’s hesitation, he refined the creases on the letter and tucked it back into the pocket of his waistcoat. He swallowed, brows furrowing and found that he no longer cared about the dancing plague of 1518 or the other contents of the book he’d since abandoned on his lap.
Sebastian did not come to dinner that evening. In customary fashion, Ominis found himself solitary - twiddling his fork on his plate - his company forsaken even by his housemates, who tended to cast upon him looks of cautious regard. They granted him a wide berth - huddling together three or four invisible student’s places apart from him. Through the soles of his shoes he felt the vibrations of doors slamming across the hall as students filtered out and the bench beneath him shifted when those occupying it left. The idle chatter of two teachers drifted across the cavernous room. Ominis sighed, folding a leaf of wax paper over a blueberry muffin.
“She was missing too…” he noted passively and wondered if he ought to have purloined a second muffin from the banquet table.
He held his wand aloft as he rose, a crimson bead of light fluttering like a heartbeat on its tip. The sensation of structures - rows of oak tables and benches - extended across the space before him. As he walked, he approximated the mass of these objects: how near they existed to his kneecaps, how firmly they were anchored to the floor - all actions thoughtlessly natural to him.
The passageway led from the Great Hall into the Viaduct Courtyard and a faint chill heralded that twilight had fallen upon the surrounding landscape. The tumult of student life had withdrawn for the night, taking with them a clamor of distracting noises and smells. Ominis meditated on the silence, finding solace in measuring the rhythm of his footfalls as he paced across the leaf-littered earth.
He imagined Sebastian with his freckled nose buried in a book in the Undercroft and smiled.
“It’s not the first time he’s worked through dinner,” he reminded himself. “Anne is lucky to have such a brother.” A pang of sadness worked dully at his chest following the mention of Anne’s name. Nothing had been quite like it was since before she’d fallen ill. “Even Sebastian’s laughter seems contrived these days.”
Suddenly a thunderous crack echoed across the hillside to his right, akin to a bolt of lightning striking a tree. Ominis jolted so forcefully that he nearly dropped the muffin in his left hand.
“W-what was that?” He gasped, his head swimming with adrenaline. The atmosphere reeked of burnt timber. Swiftly, he sought the protection of the cloister, his wand hand sweeping the clearing.
The path beneath his feet dropped into a series of stairs ending where the Black Lake licked the limestone and wooden boats rocked innocently in the building below. To the muggle, prepared to dismiss the absence of petrichor, this artificial thunderstroke might have signified a distant storm but Ominis knew well the vast and formidable traits of magic.
Someone was dashing up the stairs to his left - their feet tapping like raindrops on the hard surface. Ominis pressed himself plumb against the column and held his breath.
Her scent preceded her - like honeysuckle, mild and sweet. Following closely, the sound of her breath, quick and shallow, as though from a brisk sprint. The swish of her robes marked her entrance, swift and fleeting. In a moment, she vanished through the nearest castle door, oblivious to the presence of an onlooker.
Ominis found himself immobilized by his perplexity. He had, he was sure, sensed some great surge of energy, unlike any he had previously encountered, as she glided past him. An enigmatic metallic tang lingered on her garments, its quality imprinted on his senses. As he reviewed the day’s - no - the month’s occurrences and considered Sebastian’s recent preoccupation, a daring notion began to take root in his mind:
The new girl was forging a novel strain of magic.

Basically a novice special education elementary teacher here. I have autism/adhd. Which means I’m awesome at working with and understanding student needs and absolutely awful at managing everything else! I started mid year at this district and this one has the SPED teachers as the case managers/facilitators, which is so much extra work involved…. so I have no idea what I’m doing really, just lots of playing along and hoping for the best. I ran out of my adhd meds. So I am running on fumes. I have 7 ARDs in the next two weeks.
It’s so embarrassing to struggle this much and yes everyone is stressed right now but atleast they know what they’re supposed to be doing or can figure it out without having a mental break down. (Or so it seems. But maybe I just forget that other people struggle more discretely.)
Who else is suffering from the impact of their own disabilities as a teacher? It’s so confusing and exhausting. I never know if a mistake is due to my own incompetence or the broken system :,(
Does it get better??

I'm not a teacher yet, but I'm currently enrolled in a MSED program to become certified to teach biology in NYS. As an undergrad student I took out about 80K in student loan debt (60K through private loans, 20K through federal loans). Now, I'm going to one of the cheapest colleges I could find in NYS for my MSED to become certified to teach. Overall, this program is just about 20K, meaning that by the end I'll have 100K in student loan debt as a 1st year teacher.
I feel so stupid just looking at this number. I went into college thinking I was going to become a doctor, then found out it wasn't for me and spent so long not knowing what I was interested in other than simply biology. I graduated a year early (at 21 in 2023), and spend this past year working as a science teacher's assistant in a high school and I loved it. I am certain that teaching is something I want to do but knowing how far into debt I'll be by pursing this makes me so hesitant on actually committing to this.
My point to this post, is looking for someone who has been in a similar situation (aka, a whole lot of student loan debt). Is there any advice?

Hi, I have autism and aphantasia. I don't know what could cause this, but I'm posting this here because I know aphantasia can affect how you think and I'm curious if anyone can relate to this.
So basically, I recount all my conversations in third person, like I'm writing a book about my experience. It only happens sometimes, when my inner monologue is active. When I was younger I used to think of it as a huge book that contained every experience in my life which I was actively writing.
For example, I had an exchange with a teacher today signing into the bathroom at school (my name is Zach), and here's what I was thinking to myself as I walked inside the bathroom:
Zach plopped his pass down on the table and punched in his student ID." The teacher smiled. "Hi, Zach." "Hi", he replied. Zach started toward the bathroom. "That's the girl's bathroom!" the teacher explained with a sense of urgency. "Ugh, I always do that" Zach said as he adjusted his course to the men's room and ducked inside.
So that's what I was thinking right as I walked in the bathroom, seconds after the exchange happened and my brain switched from outward socialization mode into my inner monologue. The third person perspective is pretty fascinating to me. Even more so, I concentrate on it like I'm writing a story and "write out" the exchange in my head, actively choosing word choice and other devices just like I would if I was writing an actual story story on paper. When I finish, I snap back to reality and realize what I've done, with full memory of what I just wrote in my head (as I transcribed above). It's like that's my brain's method of memorizing things - writing it into a third-person story and packing it away. But again, this doesn't happen every time I have a conversation.
On the other hand, I am perfectly able to have normal first-person thoughts. For example, when I'm consciously writing something in my head, I use the first-person tense. Take this post - I was thinking about it for like 10 minutes before I wrote it, while I was riding on my bike, and then I memorized it in first person and typed out the parts I remembered. I'm pretty sure that's normal, but correct me if that also seems weird.
So in summary, I'm curious if anyone else can relate to this or knows of anything similar.

I don't really know whether to call this AITA, WIBTA, or petty revenge, but it's a fun story. Also, it is a little long, so I apologize. I (F18), am in my first year of college. I have stayed friends with a group of 4 other girls since age 16 when our friend group founded. I haven't been as close to them recently, but I'm wondering if I'm just over reacting. (BTW, I went an all girls school, so no boy drama).
When I was 16, I was new to my school. It wasn't a super welcoming environment and I was quite unpopular. Introducing Eliza. She calls herself my first friend, but I was actually originally friends with a girl who is insignificant in this story. I clung to Eliza in my first 5 months at school, as I was scared and had never been new to a school before. After a while, Eliza informed me that another girl, Venom, thought I was "stealing her away". I was pretty shocked. However, I starting hanging out with her less and less.
Venom wasn't the only one. Willa, another friend of Eliza was also jealous of me. I was partnered with her for a group project, and we got along quite well. By 2/3 of the way into the school year, we had chosen to sit together in snack, meaning we would have to see each other each day for 15 minutes for a month (we got pick our seats but after we picked, we couldn't move). After the first month, we always chose to sit together. I remember Eliza approaching me and asking if we were friends. Not too long after, SIX formed. This was our friend group name, though there was only 5 of us.
When the friend group formed, I mostly knew of Alex by reputation. She was kind, caring, shy, and in all ways the opposite of a high school mean girl. She was also very smart. The friend group formed because we all loved writing, mystery, violence, and fun. We immediately became close knit, something I didn't realize was so toxic until this year. I remember when we started letting people in it caused drama and Willa said "It's better just the 5 of us." We became so close because we came together to start an etsy store together. Anyways, either right before SIX founded or right after, I was partnered with Alex by the same teacher who started me and Willa's friendship. We bonded and I really enjoyed her company.
By the end of 11th grade, I had a close knit group and people who I believed cared about me. I haven't mentioned the fifth one yet, but nothing significant happened between us until this year. We most hung out of nesecity.
12 grade was mostly uneventful. In fall, SIX disbanded, as Alex though running a business was too dramatic and hard for seniors. We stayed friends, but it marked the end of an era in our friendship. Next, I will go over all the toxic encounters I have had with these people from 12 grade and the start of college, as well as why I dumped them and my petty revenge.
Eliza:
She tends to be distant and uses information to manipulate and show favor. Stills, she is overall the best in the group. She could easily be manipulating us all. She's also jealous when I talk to anyone not in SIX. Like all my "friends" she always took Mary's side in every argument.
Willa:
She said "If I wasn't friends with you, no one would like you." She also told me she uses all her friends. She also uses information to manipulate and show favor. She is jealous when I talk to anyone not in SIX. and of course, she always took Mary's side in every argument
Alex:
She set too high of an expectation of perfection. She gossips about Willa and Eliza to me. She also lied to my face about something, which made me question if she was lying about other things. She never cared when I was upset or sad and never asked if I was ok. No surprise, the queen of perfect also always took Mary's side in every argument.
Mary:
We became friends by gossiping about how annoying Alex is and stuff. She is very judgy and we never got along well. She was going through a lot but never saw that I was going through similar things.
Okay, so that was the backstory. I apologize again for how long it was. It all came out when we were going to a party this year. On the bus I was texting a friend from before I went to the school I met them at. She had heard all my concerns because she doesn't know these people and when I told her I was sitting next to Eliza and Willa she said "They're such bitches." she quickly unsent it and said "I hate them for being so mean to u", but the damage was done. Willa saw the text was really mad and upset. However, we moved past it and Mary and Alex stole mt hair ties. I chased them around, though I was actually annoyed and just wanted my things back. I got one back and then took one of Mary's until she gave mine back. She yelled at me because Alex had taken mine and I told her that they had hidden it together nad she could give it back. Five seconds later, she's so sad because she just wanted it back, and we are screaming at each other. Alex comes to ask me my side of the story and says "Oh don't worry Mary isn't mad at you, she just feels bad for you because everyone hates you." and "Oh I should leave, I don't want Mary to be suspicious I'm talking to you." I laughed both of these of but was actually pretty hurt. I went home soon after and I haven't talked to Mary or Alex since. Both of tried to contact me but I haven't responded.
Ok so recently I had an idea. I need to know if it's too petty. So I mentioned we all like writing. All of us (except Willa) have been writing a story that is 80 ish pages now. I haven't written on it in a while because I wanted to give Mary and Alex space but recently I noticed that the characters are based on us. I, of course, am the villain. It isn't based on real events so it's not like things I've done, just a girl with my name being evil. I noticed that I'm the owner and I'm wondering if I would be justified to remove all of them from it. I know it's evil, but they treated me badly and even my friend, who showed me a lot of ways I'm in the wrong in the past said that I should do it. I know it would be evil, but I want some kind of revenge. Would it be worth it? Any other times I'm in the wrong that I haven't noticed? Please let me know.
TL;DR:
I have been friends with a group of 4 girls since age 16, but I haven't been as close to them recently. I experienced different forms of toxic behavior with each friend in 11th and 12th grades, including their always taking Mary's side in every argument. We got into a petty argument about when I took back her hair ties from Mary and Alex after they stole them. Mary also said everyone hates me. So, am I justified in removing them from a story they have been writing together because they feel that they have been portraying me as the villain? I am considering this as a form of revenge for being treated badly by my friends. I am also seeking feedback on any wrongdoings I may have committed in this story.
Thank you so much for reading!

Happy Tuesday, Barkada --

The PSE gained 92 points to 6604 ▲1.4%

Shout-out to Atot for saving the Inside the Boardroom special [MB link] for their "lunch read" (at least it's not a porcelain chair?), to Trina Cerdenia for retweeting the ITB episode with highlights, to Tenkan Sen for noting the bloodbath that has been the recent (and even not-so-recent) IPO market, to Just'n for recognizing that in most cases a secondary IPO is for exit liquidity, to Enrico P. Villanueva for mentioning the ITB article as a jumping-off point for further research and analysis, to Jonathan Burac for providing interesting background on auditors and former-auditors as Independent Directors, to kalel.RON for having their mind blown by my reveal that I'm not Matteo Guidicelli (deep cut for the OGs), to Tirador for the straight-forward review ("pangit an ipo yan"), and to arkitrader for the Monday vibes GIF.
Thanks also to the many readers who wrote in privately with praise, follow-up questions, and comments about yesterday's Inside the Boardroom special episode with OceanaGold PH's President, Joan Adaci-Cattiling. I won't list your names because you didn't choose to make your comments public, but I appreciate all of the notes that I've received and it's encouraging to see the interesting in the ITB series. Thank you!
Just for background, the Inside the Boardroom series takes a lot of extra work to organize, conduct the interview, and write the content for each episode. MB does not receive anything in return for an Inside the Boardroom interview; I only ask for direct access to the c-suite executive and the understanding that all questions that I ask will be direct (not trying to avoid unfavorable parts), to-the-point (not flowery), and without honorifics or deference (no titles or fawning).
I have a great amount of respect for companies and executives that agree to those terms, as there are many companies here that would never in a million years allow their executives to speak publicly, let alone on topics that are not 100% positive and dripping with marketing talking points.
OK, enough of that, let's get to the new stuff!

▌In today's MB:

• COMING UP: This week
  • PH: OGP 1st week
  • PH: BSP rate decision
  • PH: UBP SRO start
  • INT'L: US April inflation
• OceanaGold falls 6% in 1st day of trading
• CREIT, MREIT, and FILRT declare Q1 divs
• FMETF halted due to broken price tracker

▌Daily meme Subscribe (it's free) Today's email

▌Main stories covered:

• [COMING_UP] The week ahead... PH: While we had the OceanaGold PH [OGP 12.50 ▼6.2%; 100% avgVol] IPO yesterday, the biggest waves will be made on Thursday when the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) meets to evaluate our interest rate situation. The Union Bank [UBP 34.60 ▼6.0%; 83% avgVol] stock rights offer period will also start on Thursday. International: The only datapoint that I’m following for this week is the US April inflation report, which we should get early Thursday morning.
  
  • MB: The inflation metagame is where my mind’s at these days, and that’s all about inflation expectations. Not so much where inflation “is”, but where people (and companies) think inflation “will be” in the future. Inflation expectations matter because they can cause dramatic changes. For individuals, expectations of higher inflation can lead to changes in purchasing behavior and higher wage demands. For corporations, expectations of higher inflation can cause companies to increase their prices. I think you can see why the US Federal Reserve and the BSP are most afraid of these expectations; they’re something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. There should be a lot of analysis to consume on this point after the US CPI report is out on Thursday morning.
• [UPDATE] OceanaGold falls 6% in first day of trading... OceanaGold PH [OGP 12.50 ▼6.2%; 100% avgVol] [link] dropped a little over 6% in its first day of trading, falling ₱0.82 from its ₱13.33/share IPO price to close at ₱12.50/share. The highest the stock traded was ₱13.34 in the first 20 minutes of trading before consistent selling pressure pushed OGP price to an intra-day low of ₱12.46 around 1:30 PM. The stock mounted a significant recovery to around ₱12.90/share before a massive amount of late-day selling pushed it back down to the ₱12.50 level at the close.
  
  • MB: Since this is the first IPO of the year, the questions in my inbox tell me that we need to quickly cover a few points before we move forward. First, yes, OGP does have a stabilization fund, but it’s important to remember that a stabilization fund isn’t supposed to entirely prevent a stock’s price from falling. A stab fund is best thought of as a discretionary pool of money that a paid agent (in this case, BDO Capital) can use to buy shares on the open market to provide some artificial demand for the stock. It has a limited amount of money (usually around 10% of the value of the total IPO) and a limited amount of time (30 days), and once either of those is gone, so is the fund. The other thing to remember about stab funds is that it’s entirely up to the agent to deploy the limited resources of the fund. They might be hands-off for days before suddenly smashing the market with a swarm of buy orders to soak up the selling pressure, or they might constantly drip artificial buy orders into the market. Or they might employ a chaotic mixture of those strategies. Stability funds are a little bit of short-term downside protection and a handy pool of exit liquidity, but they shouldn’t be seen as IPO Investing insurance or a protection against loss! Be careful out there!
• [DIVS] CREIT, MREIT, and FILRT all declare Q1 dividends... Citicore Energy REIT [CREIT 2.83 ▲0.3%; 345% avgVol] [link] and MREIT [MREIT 12.96 ▲0.1%; 96% avgVol] [link] declared their Q1 dividends on Monday, while Filinvest REIT [FILRT 2.93 ▼2.0%; 47% avgVol] [link] declared its Q1 dividend on Friday. For CREIT, the dividend will be ₱0.049/share (stable), payable on July 9, representing 101% of CREIT’s Q1 distributable income (DI). For MREIT, the dividend will be ₱0.246 (stable), payable on June 14, representing 93% of MREIT’s DI. For FILRT, the dividend will be ₱0.062/share (falling), payable on June 7, representing 99.9% of FILRT’s DI for the quarter.
  
  • MB: The name of the REIT game is stability. While REITs cannot help what happens in the macroeconomic world with interest rates (all REITs got smacked when rates rose to fight inflation), what separates a good REIT from a bad one (in my opinion) is the management team’s ability to effectively worry about everything else to protect the income stream from loss. Bonus points should be awarded to teams who grow their dividend over time. Between these three companies, both CREIT and MREIT have shown the ability to deliver a stable dividend. CREIT has even managed to grow its dividend 11%. That leaves FILRT, which has continued to deliver giant turd after giant turd to its bagholders in the form of smaller and smaller dividends. FIRLT’s first three quarterly divs were at the ₱0.112/share level, and their most recent div was just ₱0.062. That’s a 44.6% drop. I don’t have a thesaurus within reach capable of accurately describing to you just how bad that is for a REIT. It’s not like the company suffered some major trauma that nearly halved the dividend; the div level has fallen four times over the past twelve quarters and in each of the last three.
• [NEWS] FMEFT halted due to broken price tracker... FMETF [FMETF 105.20 ▲0.9%; 5% avgVol] [link], the PSE’s only exchange-traded fund, was halted by the PSE at 1 PM yesterday after it was discovered that its iNav had failed to update since 11:30 AM. FMETF said that it would “coordinate” with its “service provider” to implement a fix, but as of this writing, FMETF has not advised that a fix has been implemented nor has the PSE lifted the halt.
  
  • MB: This problem happened six times last year, and while it’s great that we made it into May before we had our first FMETF outage of this year, it’s still discouraging to see “iNav not calculating” as a problem that we need to contend with in 2024. For those who are unfamiliar, FMETF is an exchange-traded fund, so FMEFT’s per-share price is derivative of the per-share prices of all the shares that FMETF owns/represents. The “iNav” that keeps breaking is the number that represents the current value of FMETF’s holdings, expressed as a “NAV per unit” or “NAV per share”. So, if the iNav isn’t updating, then traders are not getting the kind of information they need to place FMETF stock trades. “We need more ETFs” is something that I’ve heard traders say for years now, and while I still count myself as part of that group, I wish we could see some forward progress in the maintenance of FMETF before we introduce anything more exotic to the market.

MB is written and distributed every trading day. The newsletter is 100% free and I never upsell you to some "iNnEr cIrClE" of paid-membership perks. Everyone gets the same! Join the barkada by signing up for the newsletter, or follow me on Twitter. You can also read my daily Morning Halo-halo content on Philstar.com in the Stock Commentary section.

Subscribe here

Read today's full newsletter here

Here is an article I recently published on my Substack. If you'd rather read (or listen to an audio version) it outside of Reddit, you can do so here.
Why jump rope isn’t already touted as a leading running drill tool is completely beyond me. But then again…
I'm by no means an "experienced runner"—having started running in 2021 at the age of 34. So, at the time of this writing, about 3 years.
Despite this, I managed to silver-medal my age group in my first race ever.
And it was a 10k. And I was wearing barefoot-shoes.
And I had only been running before that race for about 3 months.
How the heck did I manage to pull this off?
The answer eluded me for a while. Then I remembered—ah, I’ve been jumping rope nearly every day for 2 years.
But how do those connect?
But first, why the heck would some guy start jumping rope at age 32?
About 2 years before I started running, I took up jump rope really just as a fun outdoor hobby.
Even though I was pretty inactive and a bit overweight, that’s not the reason I started skippin’.
One day, I came across some footage of boxer Lulu Hawton doing some jump rope training.
In addition to her seemingly effortless rope handling skills and rhythmic footwork, what caught my eye was a giant grin that spread across her face about 45 seconds into the video. While she was probably skipping to warm up for a match or a training session, something was abundantly clear.
She was having a blast.
And this was from a prize fighter! None of the usual boxer mean-mugging—she looked more like a kid on a carousel.
So, after buying a $10 jump rope on Amazon, I took to the driveway in my swim trunks (yes, I was so inactive, I didn’t own gym shorts).
And…whoo, did I suck.
After a few months of making puddles of sweat in my driveway as well as wheezing sounds so loud that I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t whistle EMS, I eventually got pretty decent at it.
And I lost about 45 pounds in 6 months—probably also from making some lifestyle changes merely to make jump rope less of a slog. Not the original plan, but hey, not too shabby.
After about a year, I found myself constructively critiquing other people’s beginner jump rope videos.

• “Unlock your boxer skip. Then you’ll be able to skip forever without getting tired.”
• “Here’s how to do Double-Unders, though they’re overrated.”
• “You’re skipping like it hurts. Relax and skip easy. Smile every once in a while and you’ll feel it all over.”

But how did that turn into running?
Though jumping rope is inherently enjoyable, 30-minute skipping sessions of staring at the wall without something in your headphones can be a bit drab.
One fateful day, about 2 years into being student of the jump rope, I began listening to the book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.
Even before I got to the end of the book, running—just like jump rope— sounded fun**.**
Yeah, I know that sounds counterintuitive—unless you’ve read the book.
“I knew aerobic exercise was a powerful antidepressant, but I hadn’t realized it could be so profoundly mood stabilizing and — I hate to use the word — meditative. If you don’t have answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain’t getting them.”
Ok, ok—I’ll bite.
I proceeded to dive into all of the normal “Couch to 5k” running programs I could find and took my jump rope to a nearby park with a 1k walking path—sprinkling in running between jump rope sessions.
But something wasn’t adding up.
There was a lot of advice about walk-running to build endurance until one could run a block, two blocks, a mile.
Not to brag, but I wasn’t experiencing most beginner snags.
**“Ah, I know why—**I did most of my newbie wind-sucking two years ago!”
This isn’t to say I wasn’t still periodically sucking wind but after two years of consistent boxer skips and double-unders, getting gassed felt like part of the fun and not a medical emergency.
I also felt much springier than the average beginning runner—able to run for miles all over the city in the most minimal of footwear.
And so, I tried my hand at my first race—a donut-themed 10k. And silvered in my age group.
(Ok, there was only two of us…but my time was still respectable. 😂)
Running became an amazingly freeing activity, like getting my driver’s license for my legs.
But I still didn’t understand why running was coming easier to me than the average newcomer.
Digging still deeper, I unearthed another exciting revelation—this time from multi-decade sub-3-hour Boston Marathon runner and one of the foremost running experts on the planet, Dr. Mark Cucuzzella.
“Running with a jump rope is also an amazingly simple drill for posture, balance, and rhythm.”
In other words—form. Overall technique.
Digging a little keeper and experimenting on myself, I discovered just how similar proper running technique and proper jump rope technique were.
Both require:

• An upright, chest-leading, elbows-back, joint-stacked posture
• A soft mid-foot landing directly under your pelvis
• A quick loading and unloading of “leg springs” from your tendons and ligaments to reduce “stickiness” and wasted energy
• A proper supination (roll out) followed by a quick pronation (roll in) of the feet to help launch one’s body
• A steady core without dropping hips from side to side to reduce energy “leakage”

And so many other commonalities. The list unraveled before me on every run.
And like running, without proper technique, jumping rope just doesn’t work—though the consequences are different.
For a jump roper, due to the lower impact, the risk of injury is quite minimal.
Most newbie rope slingers will report sore calves, slightly tender Achilles tendons, and the odd shin splint if they go full Rocky at it. No need to worry, though—most of these injuries see themselves out as the skipper becomes more experienced.
However, for runners, the injury story is more severe.
The next time you’re at a park with a good path, take a seat on a bench and watch the runners. See if you can spot folks reaching far out in front of them with straightened legs—smashing heels into the pavement.
This style of running results in everything from screaming knees, plantar fasciitis, lower back pain, to hips issues.
But why do all of these occur to new runners, but rarely to new jump ropers?
Most new runners commit a major physiological no-no when they begin their running journey: they treat running like fast, aggressive, airborne walking.
“Well, what is it supposed to be?”
Synchronized jumping.
Simply put, proper running is nothing more than a series of coordinated single leg jumps through space with each landing compressing the springs for the next stride.
To compare this synchronized jumping to the aggressive airborne walking of heel-led running, you can test these in just a few seconds.
Step 1: Stand up.
Step 2: Kick off your shoes.
Step 3: Jump up and down three times.
How did you land?
Probably on your mid-foot, knee bent slightly, with your weight stacked above your pelvis.
And did you use your compressed “leg springs” to launch you into the following two jumps?
Oddly enough, if you were to add a jump rope to this, you would on your way to spinning side swings like Lulu Hawton.
If you were to take this same technique one foot at a time moving forward, you would be running in a way that increases speed, preserves stamina (springs!), and drastically decreases your likelihood of injury.
Let’s try the same test with a few tweaks.
This time, jump, but land on your heels.
Your knees probably remained fairly straight and you felt the impact in your ankles, knees, hips, and possibly even your lower back.
Now, imagine attempting to jump rope this way.
It simply doesn’t work.
Not only would there be no second jump due to the lack of spring but the pain would stop you in your tracks—even in cushioned shoes.
But if jump rope technique and proper running technique are nearly identical, what are aggressive heel landings doing in running?
While a jump roper landing on their heels would resemble Frankenstein’s monster in an express lane to an orthopedist, this is how many people perform the aggressive airborne walk—aka, a heel-striking, over-striding run.
But why do we run this way? Well, our shoes let us get away with it.
Thick heel cushioning and a bit of forward momentum do a great job of masking the pain of repeated blows against every joint up the chain—for a while, anyway. Eventually, the chickens come home to roost in the form of stress fractures, meniscus tears, plantar fasciitis, “runner’s knee,” IT-band syndrome, and more.
Not to brag (and maybe to knock on some wood), I have never experienced any of these injuries in my three years of running.
Is this because I’m some kind of running genius with all of the cheat codes? Haha, I wish! It’s simply sheer luck that I started out with jumping rope before running—an activity that shares the same injury-preventing techniques.
So, are the shoes totally to blame? No.
It is possible to run with proper form in shoes with raised, cushioned heels. But it’s not as easy.
When your heel is totally cushioned, you will be able to run with a heel strike in the same way you can hit your head against a brick wall while wearing a football helmet. And in both instances, it will eventually become less about the forces outside of the foam and more about the forces inside the cushion against each other that do the most damage.
“So, how can getting a jump rope help me become a better runner?”
Jump rope is a tremendous training tool for runners for the same reason why running barefoot can also be helpful—the feedback is immediate.
Though running with inefficient and injurious form is possible, the feedback from doing so isn’t so immediate. When it comes to jumping rope, however, you won’t get through too many skips if you don’t learn to utilize the springs in your legs. The rope doesn’t pull punches.
So, get a rope and get started.
If you’re new to jump rope, I would recommend acquiring two pieces of equipment.
Firstly, find a jump rope with a little bit, but not too much, weight to it. The weight will help you feel the position of the rope during it’s entire rotation and remain in better sync with your wrist spins
My favorite rope for this purpose is a 7mm PVC model called the Hererope, which costs a whopping $15. If you find this to be too thick or heavy, a cheap 5mm PVC model will work as well.
Secondly, to protect your rope and provide a nice jumping surface, I would recommend a large foam-rubber exercise mat. My favorite is a massive 78” mat for $32—which is probably the cheapest jump rope mat you will find.
When it comes to footwear, barefoot is ideal. This will help strengthen and mobilize your feet—including your likely overly-supported neglected arches.
And just how does one begin to jump rope?

• Keep a tall posture—imagining a string pulling you up from the crown of your head.
• Your chest should open, elbows back, hands about a fist’s width from your pockets.
• Jump from the balls of your feet, only high enough to clear the rope. When landing, let the skin of your heels “kiss” the floor—touching without taking on weight.
• Keep your knees slightly bent, using every landing to load your springs for the next take-off.
• Keep the cadence quick to maximize spring recoil. To help, listen to a song that’s at about 160 beats per minute, such as the song “Hey Ya” by Outkast (or a song of similar tempo) to get a feel for the speed for skipping rope. (For running, many recommend using “Rock Lobster” by the B-52s for cadence tempo reference.)

Start with short seasons hopping with both feet—maybe 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest. Aim for minimal muscular activation, instead, using the recoil of your tendons and ligaments for suspension and launch as much as possible.
From jumping with both feet, move onto learning an alternating leg bounce—essentially a jog skip. Right, left, right, left—all while keeping an imaginary belt level with the horizon.
By now, you’re essentially running in place with an extremely efficient technique.
Now, apply your jump rope skills to your running!
This is going to seem quite bizarre, but it is possible (and even beneficial) to take your jump rope for a run.

• Start skipping rope on a road or path with the alternating leg bounce. Remember to keep your elbows back, shoulders relaxed, head pulled up as if tugged skyward by a string from your crown and your imaginary belt level with the horizon.
• Then, as though leaning forward just enough to give someone a kiss or have an imaginary umbilical cord lightly tugged, begin to jump rope forward.
• Remember to continue to land and load on your mid-foot—aiming to keep your weight under your pelvis just like skipping rope. Landing on your heels will likely snag the rope and keep your foot on the ground too long.
• As you proceed with this, remember how it feels—the quick foot turnover, the posture, the recoil in your leg springs, the core stability, and the lightness of it.
• In the middle of doing this, simply toss the handles behind you and keep running as though it was still there—still pretending to spin the handles.
• At a comfortable stopping point, run back to your rope—now using your hands in a wood-chop motion to counter balance your leg bounces while keeping your pelvis (imaginary belt) level and stable.

And there you have it!
You may find it quite helpful to return to this drill once or twice a week. Also if you find your form slipping a bit or becoming slugging mid-run, feel free to skip imaginary rope to try to correct your technique mid-stride. It will restore lightness and springiness to your running.
I still find myself bringing my wrists to my pockets and spinning imaginary jump rope handles if I feel my technique is collapsing a bit or if my running is becoming less springy.
And remember, most importantly—have fun. 👍
Enjoy this piece? Subscribe to my Substack blog!
You can also:

• Subscribe to the Kenetic YouTube Channel
• Follow my project of running every single street in Tulsa on Instagram.

Reading a relocation chart alongside a natal chart in astrology involves understanding the dynamic interplay between the original natal energies and the influences of the new location. Here's a step-by-step guide to interpreting the changes and consistencies:

1. Understand the Natal Chart: Begin with a thorough understanding of the natal chart. Each planet, house, and aspect in the natal chart represents specific energies and life themes. The natal chart is the baseline of an individual's astrological influences.
2. Generate the Relocation Chart: A relocation chart is drawn up for the new location using the same birth date and time as the natal chart. This chart shows how the planetary positions fall into the houses for the new location.
3. Analyze House Position Changes:

• If a planet moves from one house to another in the relocation chart, it indicates a shift in how that planet's energy manifests. For example, a planet moving from the 1st to the 10th house might shift its expression from self-identity (1st house) to career and public life (10th house).
• The inherent qualities of the planet, as seen in the natal chart, remain the same, but the area of life (house) where these qualities are now expressed or realized changes.

1. Blend Natal and Relocated Energies:

• The energies of the natal chart do not disappear; they blend with the relocated chart's energies. This blending can bring about subtle or significant shifts in how one experiences various aspects of life.
• The aspects (angles) planets make to each other in the natal chart generally remain the same, but their expression might be modified by the house changes in the relocation chart.

1. Interpret Aspect Changes:

• Pay attention to any new aspects formed by the relocation. For example, a planet that did not form a significant aspect in the natal chart might form one in the relocation chart, altering its influence.

1. Consider the Ascendant and Midheaven:

• The Ascendant (rising sign) and Midheaven (MC) are likely to change in the relocation chart. These shifts can indicate changes in how one presents themselves to the world (Ascendant) and in career or life direction (Midheaven).

1. Evaluate Overall Themes:

• Look for overall themes or patterns that emerge when comparing the two charts. Are there consistent themes that are reinforced or new themes that emerge?

1. Synthesize the Information:

• Finally, synthesize the information from both charts. How do the natal chart's themes and energies interact with the relocated chart's influences? Consider how the core personality and life themes (natal) adapt to or are expressed in the new environment (relocated).

So, while the core energies of the natal chart remain intact, their expression and the life areas they influence can shift significantly in the relocation chart. The key is to understand and interpret these shifts within the context of the individual's overall astrological makeup.

Hi Travis Fans!
I am a college student at the University of Denver, and am currently conducting a survey to include in my research paper. Please take my survey to help me out with my data! The link is completely safe and secure, doesn't collect personal data or anything like that. Please spread my survey among all the Travis Fans and or Swifties you know!!
https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3UWnn1wBzCM67B4

Hey y'all,
After spending the last four months analyzing early-stage businesses, and the common pit falls they face, I've noticed a common trend: many people are obsessed with finding a unique idea that hasn’t been done before. But here's why that might actually be a trap, or as YC likes to call it, a "tar pit."

The Tar Pit of Novelty

The idea of creating something entirely new and unprecedented can be incredibly appealing. It feels like striking gold—no competition, no market saturation, just pure innovation. However, the reality is often much more complicated. Many ideas that seem incredible in theory end up failing because there’s a reason no one has tackled them before.

Why Some Ideas Are Tar Pits

1. Unproven Market Demand: If there’s no competition, it might be because there’s no market demand. Existing competition often validates that there’s a need or desire for a particular product or service. Without that validation, you’re venturing into uncharted territory, which can be risky and costly.
2. High Barriers to Entry: Some ideas might require significant upfront investment, advanced technology, or regulatory approval that makes them impractical for a new startup. These barriers can trap resources and effort with little to no return.
3. Complex Implementation: Innovative ideas often seem simpler in theory than in execution. The complexity of bringing a novel product to market can be overwhelming, leading to unforeseen challenges and potential failure.

Case Studies and Examples

Pharmaceutical Industry: McKinsey’s analysis of 492 drug launches found that first-to-market drugs often lose their initial advantage. The complexity and high stakes in the pharma sector mean that later entrants can often learn from the pioneers' mistakes and implement more efficient and effective strategies​ (McKinsey & Company)​​ (McKinsey & Company)​.
Tech Industry: IBM wasn’t the first in the personal computer market, but it quickly took the lead through superior marketing and strategic decisions. Dell, entering even later, succeeded by innovating with a direct-to-consumer model. These companies succeeded not by being first but by executing better strategies and improving on existing ideas.
SaaS Example: Dropbox vs. Box Dropbox wasn’t the first cloud storage service, but it quickly became one of the most well-known due to its user-friendly interface and seamless integration across devices. Box, a close competitor, differentiated itself by focusing on enterprise clients and offering robust collaboration tools. Both companies succeeded by understanding their target markets and innovating within an existing space, rather than trying to create a completely new one.

Unique Market Positioning

But it’s not just about executing better—it’s about finding a unique market positioning. The total market for a generic idea might be substantial, but existing solutions can’t possibly solve for every specific need within that market. By targeting a specific subset of the market, you can deliver a much better experience for that group.
Think about Dropbox again. Imagine if it focused specifically on educational institutions, offering features tailored for students and teachers, or if it specialized solely in workplace collaboration. By narrowing the focus, the product can meet the unique needs of that subset much better than a one-size-fits-all solution ever could. This targeted approach can lead to a superior user experience, stronger user loyalty, and ultimately, a more successful product.

Conclusion

Instead of looking for the next big, unheard-of idea, consider markets where there’s already some level of competition. Competition often means there’s proven demand. Focus on how you can innovate within that space, provide better value, and position your product uniquely to serve a specific subset of the market.
Don’t fall into the tar pit of novelty for the sake of novelty. Being first isn’t always best. It’s often about who can execute better, understand the market needs, and provide the best value to a specific group of users.
What do you think? Have you encountered any tar pit ideas in your journey? Let’s discuss!
Cheers!

Wondering if someone in this thread could help me out. Im an early childhood educator and work in an after school program inside a Catholic school in Ontario. Students are grades 2-5.
My students were doing melting beads, I had Student A complete a large melting bead image and shortly after it was completed, it went missing. Student A immediately thought Student B, who is their friend, had taken it. Student B was acting somewhat out of character and quick to say that they didn’t take it or kept looking around the room to help. Student B wears a waist bag around themselves and showed student A their bag but seemed to hold back so you couldn’t see the entire bag.
I didn’t want to immediately accuse Student B as I know this child and they would get overly sensitive about the accusation, regardless of if they did it or not. But myself and my second staff do think they took it.
My question is to teachers, what’s the best way to go about this situation? What can I do to go about this situation in a way that doesn’t seem like I’m single-ing out Student B but can potentially solve the where the missing melt beads went?

Hi Kanye Fans!
I am a college student at the University of Denver, and am currently conducting a survey to include in my research paper. Please take my survey to help me out with my data! The link is completely safe and secure, doesn't collect personal data or anything like that. Please spread my survey among all the Kanye Fans you know!!
https://udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3UWnn1wBzCM67B4

Hello teachers :) (specifically those that teach 12th graders) I have been struggling in this class for the whole year but have been working with the teacher throughout to get extra help. As the year has gone on I have slowly progressed in the class showing I’ve improved and have put more effort in. Though due to very low grades in the first semester I’m still not above the passing mark (60) i’m currently sitting at a 53 without my retakes being put in yet with 2 weeks left of school. I was wondering from a teachers perspective are you more willing to boost a student’s grade if they have shown they are willing to put the effort in but just didn’t come close enough to pass? Anything helps, Thanks!

Hi There,
I am an aspiring Special Education teacher who is hoping to do a career change. I have plenty of volunteer experience (10+ years) working with people with IDD and I graduated with my bachelors degree in an unrelated field with a 3.5 GPA. My question is how competitive is it to get into the NYC Teaching Collaborative program for the students with disabilities - generalist subject area? I currently do not live in NYC and I am trying to figure out one of multiple factors of whether it makes sense to make a move there this summer, as my lease is ending in my current location soon. Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!