I never thought I would see that happen on The View.
I honestly believe part of the reason Clinton lost in 2016 was because shows were too nice to her. She was waltzing toward a coronation. She'd come out to some girl power song playing and get fluff questions. That did not help her.
I voted for her in 2016.
And yet frequently when I've seen her speak since then I feel like she has had contempt for people like me. She's blamed everyone under the sun for her loss, including the "Bernie Bros," of which I guess I am one since I voted for Bernie in the 2016 primary before then voting for her in the general.
Now she's out attacking people protesting war.
It feels like she wants power of attorney over everyone 18-40 because they must have a mental illness if they don't like war and hardship and thinks anyone who isn't lockstep with her is feeble-minded and suggestible to corrupting influences.
She's the definition of condescending, and Sunny called her out. Finally.
I never thought I'd see it from this show in particular because they seem to have a very cozy relationship with Hillary and Chelsey Clinton.
Trump calling out that type of stuff helped him. I'm not supporting Trump in saying that. I just think everyone sees through the sort of gross love affair between establishment politicians and the media. Another example is the White House Correspondents Dinner. I did not like Trump, but I actually liked that he skipped it. They shouldn't be so cozy and yukking it up together. Decorum is over-rated. Politicians should have their feet held to the fire and be responsive to citizens not to the media industry and not the media industry to the politicians (which is a lot of what Whoopi does—just exhorting people to get in line politically). Trump is what happens when the sane side doesn't get its house in order and lets arrogance, elitism, corporatism, etc., run amok. And you can't just yell at people harder to get them to vote your way. Democracy has to deliver on its promises.
Back to my original point: Someone like Sunny calling out Hillary Clinton actually makes it easier for me to vote for Democrats. I've had to do it holding my nose, but honestly recently with the upcoming election, I've not sure if I've had the capacity to on moral grounds. And it's refreshing to hear someone say, no you're not crazy, HRC was being condescending. It's not crazy to protest war that has gone beyond defense and is now gratuitous. I have a basket of other issues that bother me, but that was the one being referenced today.
I think if they had challenged her that way in 2016 she would have been a stronger candidate. I remember toward the end of the 2016 campaign she was on stage with Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Katy Perry. And it was like a party. Like senior year of high school, hanging out, waiting for graduation. It was unserious. And she's been hectoring everyone since about what they did wrong and continue to do wrong in her eyes. You can't schoolmarm your way to victory, especially when your own results have been less than stellar! I mean lecturing about foreign policy when she voted for the war on Iraq, when she helped with the uprising in Libya that displaced millions of people, the quagmire in Syria, and on and on. She may have a very good grasp of history (what she accused the students of lacking)—and in fact I think she does when I've heard her speak—but it hasn't really led to wise decisions.
Sorry I'm so long-winded. Good for Sunny. And I hope they don't back down and hold everyone's feet to the fire both in talking about them and to them when they have them on the air. It can't just be a lovefest for one side and a trashing of the other. It's corrosive. I believe it paradoxically hurts the former (and those who could otherwise benefit from the former) and emboldens the latter.
Just one last point:
This came up in the context of what Biden can do to turn things around.
Biden has an in my opinion bizarre fixation with getting money to Ukraine. It takes gall to start the State of the Union with the state of Ukraine!
If they want issues that people would care about, they have them, but refuse to engage in them so they can't come out and say Republicans are holding us back.
Take ACP for example, which is something I care about. ACP is for low income people and pays for their broadband access up to $30 a month. It's being eliminated next month.
Has Biden ever heard of ACP? Does he know what it is? I'm honestly not sure. It would be a guess.
But the Biden administration has requested Congress to renew ACP. Mike Johnson—the Republican speaker—is refusing to allow a vote on the bill that would extend ACP.
That's an issue that will NEVER be on The View and you will probably never hear Biden talk about.
Biden would never talk about an issue like ACP (or a basket of other issues I have) like he talks with passion about Ukraine.
As long as Biden keeps jonesing for money for Ukraine he's losing.
As long as The View remains unaware people like me rely on ACP to get Internet and that Republicans are blocking it and instead talk about Trump's affair, Biden is losing.
This is just on example of an issue that is real to me and millions of other Americans who use ACP, but there are so many others.
That would be a real fight that would make poor to working class families perk up.

Hi!
I finished UO three times! So much fun. And I'm looking to get into another series. One of them is Octopath Traveler, the graphics look very similar even though the gameplay seems different. Are they similar at all?
I also love that Unicorn Overlord has a dialog log. Does Octopath Traveler have one? I couldn't find any information online.
If anyone knows any other JRPGs that are similar to UO or have a log, that'd be great. I've played 13 Sentinels, Persona 5 and Pokemon and they're a lot of fun and they all have logs. I play in Japanese and rely on the log a lot. I usually play on the Switch but I have a steam deck too.
Fire Emblem Three Houses also seems to have a log, but it seems like a really difficult game.

Quick and Dirty: So long as you get Pep Talk by completing the first four dream quests, AND install Ye Olde Chemicker on Plunkett Street, you can get 15/15/15 on day 6 and beat the Ocean City Boardwalk games (Dream Cat not required). The rough outline: You get +2/+2/+2 from Ocean City perks and Charlestown State Pen perks, +1/+1/+1 from any number of hat and pants combos, +1/+1/+1 from the Monster Club sash, +1/+1/+1 from a Noble Elixir from Ye Olde Chemicker, +1/+1/+1 from the devil's food cake (throw a hot link down the H***hole), +1/+1/+1 from your choice of liquor and your bonus from the electrified orb, +1/+1/+1 from your Pep Talk perk and choice of cat, +1 to Moxie from a new set of teeth, +1 to Muscle from Chiropractic, +1 to mysticality from the statue of you, +1/+1/+1 from losing and getting Angry, Contemplative, and Aloof effects.
Beating the Ocean City Boardwalk games requires a minimum of 15/15/15 Mus/Mys/Mox stats. This is missable--it is possible to lock yourself out of being able to achieve such high stats. However, there are multiple ways to get your M-stats this high, meaning even if you miss one route to 15/15/15, another is likely still open. I wanted to make a quick guide about not only how to purely maximize stats, but the different options available to get yourself to 15/15/15.

Always Possible Stat Boosts

On any save file, 13/13/13 should be achievable. Here's how:

• +1/+1/+1 from Basic Humanity
• +4/+4/+4 from Skill Upgrades
• +1 Muscle from "St. Polycarp's Forehead" perk (St. Polycarp's Cathedral quest)
• +1 Mysticality from "Skeptical" perk (pay for a tarot reading three times at Ocean City Boardwalk)
• +1 Moxie from "Expert Sitter" perk (Marvin's quest)

Those, which I assume most folks who made it through chapter 1 know about, bring you to 6/6/6. Potions, alcohol, and food will also easily net you +1, +1, +2 to your choice of stats (you can get higher boosts from food and potions, but they are unique and/or missable), bringing you to around 7/8/7. Then:

• +1/+1/+1 from wearing the completed Monster Club sash accessory (complete all Monster Shack quests). To my knowledge, it is impossible to lock yourself out of this quest.
• +1 Moxie from the "Perfect Teeth" perk (the dentist at the Maize Maze in Gray County)
• +1/+1/+1 from giving prisoners Chiropractor gift certificates (Charlestown State Pen in Government Valley)
• +1 Muscle from the "Well Adjusted" effect using the same gift certificate for yourself

This brings us to 10/10/10. To get to 13/13/13:

• A hat and pants combo can get you +1/+1/+1 any playthrough. The intimidating Stetson from Haim Quarry in The Big Moist with S.I.T. kitchen britches from the S.I.T. gift shop) is the earliest available combo, but you can also combine any puckwudgie hat from Gray County with the corresponding S.I.T. pants from the S.I.T. gift shop). There's also the glorious tiara from the Wreck of the Longerfellow, which is difficult to reach.
• The electrical orb on your bookshelf from Radio Shack in The Big Moist grants +1 to your class' main stat when you touch it.
• The statue of you from Puckwudgie Village and one of the three M-stat cats (not counting the dream cat) can grant you +1 to an additional 2 M-stats
• Finally: Losing battles (NOT surrendering!) will grant you Angry), Contemplative, and Aloof effects for an additional +1/+1/+1.

So, this will get you to +13/+13/+13 fairly hassle free. But that still leaves us 6 points shy of victory. Thankfully, there are myriad ways to reach that final number (and beyond)

Bridging the final +6 gap

All of the following is content you can lock yourself out of, sometimes pretty easily, sometimes pretty early in the game. The good news is, there are so many options, it's likely a path to 15/15/15 still exists on your save file unless you've reached the very late game and aren't lucky.

Dreams

You can get an additional +4 from Dream-related events.

• The Dream Cat from the Prologue grants +1/+1/+1, for an additional +2 M-stats compared with the other M-stat cats. They are very missable, and you can permanently lose their boon if you pet another cat on Chapter 6, as you will not go to sleep again.
• You must complete quests in your first four dreams to get the perk Pep talk, granting +1 to 2 of your 3 M-stats. You choose the M-stats by picking which statue to silence in Yet Another Fitful Dream.

Clothing

• The giant maggot hat, which comes from helping the miners and NOT working with Frogger at Haim Quarry, gives +1/+1/+1 for an additional +1 M-stat.
• Weathered Jeans can be bought from Advanced Pants on Day 4 if you choose it as an additional shop on Plunkett street. It grants +1 Muscle and +1 Moxie, and is the only pair of pants to provide +1 to more than 1 M-stat, for an additional +1 overall. You will only install 5 of the 9 possible stores on Plunkett street during a playthrough, making it easy to miss this shop.

This makes for a maximal +2 from better clothes.

Food

There are a number of food options to grant more than +1 to your M-stats, granting a maximal additional +2 to your M-stats overall.

• Any food starting with H can be thrown in The H***hole in Gray County to make devil's food cake, for +1/+1/+1. Of particular interest are hot links, which can be crafted at arcane ovens from the infinitely abundant phlogistic resin. This is always available in any save file, but easily missed.
• The Dauphin House) in The Big Moist contains a Can of Fruit Cocktail for +1/+1/+1. This item is unique.
• Fruit Advertisements can be gotten from Junk Mail once you've gotten the letter opener on day 6. They give +1/+1/+1 when eaten.
• Fish sandwiches can be bought from Fission Chips or The Underground Restaurant) for +1 to 2 M-stats of your choice (suboptimal, but available starting day 3)
• Finally, picking Botany as a major opens up 2 interesting options for an additional (suboptimal) +1 to your M-stats: You can make a questionable salad at Professor Kalos' Holiday Home which grants +1 to Muscle and Mysticality when eaten, AND you can wander at S.I.T. with Barker to find Odd Fruit for +1 to Muscle and Moxie.

Potions

Potion options are comparatively limited, but can grant an additional +2.

• The Noble Exlixir (+1/+1/+1) will be sold at Ye Olde Chemicker if you install it on Plunkett Street, but ONLY on day 6. You will only install 5 of the 9 possible stores on Plunkett street during a playthrough, making it easy to miss this shop.
• If you take the Chemicals major at S.I.T., you can get Professor Adams as a companion. Talking to him at Ye Olde Chemicker will give you 3 of Professor Adams' special potions for +1/+1/+1. This can only be done once, but can get you +1/+1/+1 potions before day 6.
• Without Ye Olde Chemicker, you can find radium rouge at the Dauphin House in The Big Moist for +1 to Mysticality and Moxie (suboptimal). This item is unique.

Other

There are a couple unique effects that you can use which will last 1 day only

• At The Old Junkyard at Crystaldream lake, there's a tub you can soak in for +1/+1/+1 for the rest of the day. This is a one day only effect; you can only soak once and will not be able to soak any other day. Optimal to soak on day 6.
• Similarly, in Gray County, you can encounter a blob of crude oil surrounded by electrified shale spires. If you choose the option "Harness the Lightning [7 Mysticality] you get +1 Mysticality from the Fossil Fueled effect for the rest of the day. This option can only be chosen once; the event can occur many times, but once you choose to harness lightning, it will never happen again (optimal to do so on day 6).
• Finally, the exploit: You can get +3/+3/+3 if you choose spiders as an elective at S.I.T. I don't recommend it, but it's there.

Bonus Guide to Liquors

-Tequila grants +1 to Muscle and Mysticality and can be found in the Mob Submarine in The Big Moist, but only if you accept the Mob's offer on day 2. - Whiskey grants +1 to Muscle and Moxie and can be found in the Moonshiner's Cave in The Big Moist. - Absinthe grants +1 to Mysticality and Moxie and is found in Rufus' Lab) at S.I.T.
Shoutout to this previous post by u/Mr_Lisreal, which already covers most of what's in this post. My motivation behind making this was primarily that the wiki does not do a good job of displaying potion effects in a browsable way, and it wasn't clear to me if it was possible to completely box yourself out of being able to complete the boardwalk games (to my eye it appears possible, but uncommon). I also wanted a guide out there for freaks like me who enjoy petting cats, and therefore don't want to lean on the dream cat boon because it deprives you of the joy of petting all the other cats in the game.

cw: mention of past attempt & general venting
i don’t know what to do anymore. i moved out of my parents at 18 to live with my boyfriend. i don’t necessarily regret it, but i drained all my savings from my teenage jobs to move out and my mental health only tanked more. i have severe ptsd, anxiety, and depression and it’s made it so so incredibly hard for me to hold jobs. i’m the type to have 13 w-2’s at the end of the year. not having consistent income literally ever since i’ve been an adult and living in poverty has destroyed me even worse. i got in insane credit card debt to pay essential bills like rent and gas and it’s tanked my credit score to an abhorrent number. i owe my boyfriend so much rent that’s he’s been kind enough to cover for me. i have a new job lined up that i’ve been super excited for but it’s been 3 weeks and i don’t even have a start date because of internal HR issues on their end. i feel like the worst person alive. i feel like a bad girlfriend. he shouldn’t have to cover rent for me ever and i’m just a burden and a let down. i can’t even function as an adult and at 20 years old i very well should be. responsibilities just constantly stack up i’m so chronically overwhelmed and exhausted. shit that needed to be done months ago isn’t. i attempted in 2022 because of poverty and my financial situation. not being able to function. i got denied a few weeks ago for SSDI/disability after over a year of games and back and forth with them. i hate myself, why can’t i do things like a normal adult, what is wrong with me. i feel like i’m gonna explode. i don’t know how to cope anymore or how this all gets better. i’m so far behind with everything i don’t know how to catch up. i hate myself, i’m such a massive burden on my parents and boyfriend, idk how i’m still here. i don’t deserve any good things that happen to me. why can’t i just function right? there’s so many other people with mental health issues that can hold jobs and do things but no matter how hard i try i cant get things right.

Hey, my name is Ralph. I am 36, and I live in Florida. I travel for work though so I am all over the place and I travel full time. So that means I am not on any specific time zone, I sleep when I’m tired. As flight crew my work schedule can be 7 days a week, 365 days a year and holidays. I prefer it that way vs a traditional 9-5 Monday to Friday type job, no thanks. As flight crew I get to see the world and get paid for it. I truly love my job and what I do. I also get to live in Florida but still see all 4 seasons! I have been to 19 countries and growing!
I am a nerd. I love gaming. I have a PS5, gaming desktop, gaming laptop, switch OLED, etc. I am also an electronic music producer. I produce house, tech house, trance, techno, drum and bass, etc! It is just for fun!
I am looking for friends. I am VERY picky with who I respond to and make friends with. I am also looking for my best friend but that takes time and it just has to happen. I just need to click with someone. Someone who immediately gets my high level of sarcasm, etc.
I am looking for real life friends not just online! Message me! :)

Over the period of the last two or three months, I have been having horrible service when it comes to my home Internet, my cell service and the service on my son‘s iPad. He’s got a 9th gen iPad. I got the newest 5G modem for home Internet and iPhone 14 Pro. Everything is up-to-date also on the firmware. I’ve done network resets as well. The router is the third replacement as well over the last year for context.
My service is always been three bars or better, recently The service has been very horrible almost nonexistent. They tried to tell me it was because of being surrounded by lakes in my area. I told the guy that is untrue because my service is always been excellent until recently not to mention I have a tower within about 5 miles from my house.
I called for about two months straight almost once a week trying to get my service fixed. They gave me $100 credit and eventually they got to the point where the last conversation with Verizon I told them that I was going to switch services and I wasn’t going to pay the bill. I generated a pin number in the app to port out and they started to credit me a $10 discount every month after doing so. The service is still kind of spotty. It’s better than it was over the last two months, but it’s still drops calls and my Internet drops out.
This past Thursday evening I got a text message saying they credited my account the full amount that was owed for two months. I had set up a payment arrangement just in case I decided to keep the service so when they credited my account, I went into delete the payment arrangement and I decided to call customer service. the customer service representative told me they were going to give me an additional month of service at no cost due to the issues that I was having and I didn’t ask.
Proceeded to ask what the issue was and I was told that engineering discovered somebody local to my area that worked for Verizon was sabotaging the towers and the local authorities were looking into it. He told me that this information was not to be shared, but I’m gonna share it because I guarantee you not everybody that’s having issues is getting compensated and they’re just dealing with it. I was also told that there was some sort of an explosion at one of the local towers in my area as well. He went on to tell me that he could not elaborate anymore than what he had already said. He wasn’t supposed to divulge any more information apparently but he wanted to tell me as one of the customers that was affected what was going on. He then proceeded to tell me that the issues I was experiencing went out for about 60 miles to other customers.
So apparently, Verizon employees are sabotaging towers for some reason is what my understanding is and I got 3 months of free service possible more if it goes un resolved. Has anyone else experienced anything like this before? I’m in lake county Florida area.

Hey, my name is Ralph. I am 36, and I live in Florida. I travel for work though so I am all over the place and I travel full time. So that means I am not on any specific time zone, I sleep when I’m tired. As flight crew my work schedule can be 7 days a week, 365 days a year and holidays. I prefer it that way vs a traditional 9-5 Monday to Friday type job, no thanks. As flight crew I get to see the world and get paid for it. I truly love my job and what I do. I also get to live in Florida but still see all 4 seasons! I have been to 19 countries and growing!
I am a nerd. I love gaming. I have a PS5, gaming desktop, gaming laptop, switch OLED, etc. I am also an electronic music producer. I produce house, tech house, trance, techno, drum and bass, etc! It is just for fun!
I am looking for friends. I am VERY picky with who I respond to and make friends with. I am also looking for my best friend but that takes time and it just has to happen. I just need to click with someone. Someone who immediately gets my high level of sarcasm, etc.
I am looking for real life friends not just online! Message me! :)

So I was exploring around on my survival world when I found a snowy village. At the blacksmith there were blocks of coal ore that spawned in the village house.I searched this up online but couldn't find anything. My theory is that since the house has diorite the game thought that it's okay to spawn an ore there .The seed is 75463888 and it is at -5261, 65, -5249.

So there's this really old game that I used to play on my ipad in which the protagonist is a boy who is sneaking onto this old man's property. I specifically remember it being nighttime and there being a path you can't take because it was blocked off with bees, and if you took it, the bees swarmed you and you had to dive in a puddle or something.
Anyways, I made it into the house and woke up this old man. For some reason, I was sneaking behind him and I can't bump into any lamps or vases to avoid knocking them over. I also remember doing some finger tapping/swiping patterns to avoid him as he looks over his shoulder and such.
I don't remember specifically how the storyline develops, but eventually, I came to this vent where I couldn't fit through and the point of view switched so I had to play as a dog that was with me. At some point after I made it through, there was a dude sitting at a desk, reading his newspaper. I remember sneaking up in front of his desk so he couldn't see me. He pounded the table or something, and a set of keys fell. I (as a dog) had to retrieve the keys.
That's all I remember, but as a little kid, I was afraid and wouldn't go on. Maybe that's why - I only played a portion of the game. I played this on an ipad in the early days, so I don't know if it was on any other form of mobile.
If there's an angel out there who knows anything of this game and could help me re-experience this fun moment, I express my gratitude and will be forever grateful!

I (24F) have been with my bf (29M) for 2 years. We both met in the military (he is still serving, I’m not) in 2022. Our relationship was amazing from the get go. We adored each other, couldn’t wait to see eachother and did everything to see eachother even though we were based 3+hours apart. 5 months ago, we brought our first house. I think it was quite soon but for our personal relationship, we both couldn’t have been happier and wanted to start a real life together and buying a house was a big step for our relationship!
He put the deposit down because he inherited like £90k, and I had no savings at the time so he insisted on putting 10% down. I still pay the mortgage and the bills, but he always said how we were a team and that the money didn’t mean anything, so he was happy to use it to start our future! Anyway, the moment moved in together EVERYTHING changed.
I’ll mention I do have a dog, she’s mine not ours, and when I decided to leave the service I had about 8 weeks leave to which, he would watch the ring camera in the kitchen and watch to see if I had cleaned whilst I was at home. I told him I would usually do a deep clean once a week and just lightly clean here and there throughout the week but nothing major. But because I was at home on leave he expected me to be out cleaning all the time because I “had nothing better to do”. Tbh I just wanted to enjoy my leave and relax, as I was starting a new job soon and had courses and revision to do.
He moans so much about how I’m not pulling my weight, how he would have to clean constantly because I’m incapable of going so and how cleaning once a week is completely unacceptable. Like he gets angry at me if there’s a speck of dirt or a muddy paw print on the floor. He does suffer with OCD, but I also suffer with ADHD and I don’t notice little things like that, and if I do I forget about it! So to me it isn’t a big deal as it will get cleaned when I do my weekly deep clean. But to him that is completely unacceptable.
We’ve got to the point where we are arguing, constantly, splitting up, constantly, because I can’t deal with his high expectations. He insults me by saying things like “you’re 24 and can’t even look after yourself or the house” and says that he expects more from me and didn’t think I would ever be a dirty person. I’m not, but I don’t get wet over cleaning. He also says how he just wishes I enjoyed cleaning and that I would do it more often, even when he’s not there (he’s away during the week and only home on weekends whereas I live at home). I work more hours in 3 days than he does in a week, yet because I’m now living at home he just expects me to be cleaning all the time. I work night shifts. By the time I come back home I just want to sleep, when I wake up I get ready for work and leave and I do this a week on week off at a time yet he still thinks I don’t do anything and have all the time in the world to clean. I like cleaning, but in my own time and when I want not when he tells me to. And I do clean by the way, but he tells me it’s not good enough as I miss bits here and there and I don’t put enough effort into it.
We both feel like the love has gone. I know he loves me and vice versa, but it’s not the same. I try to cuddle him or give him a kiss and he scrunches his lips so tight like he doesn’t want me anywhere near him, and he’ll half arsed give me a hug but honestly it makes me feel so stupid how he doesn’t want to touch me. I can’t help but think it’s because he thinks so badly of me because I won’t clean as much or as good as he wants me to. I’ve thought about hiring a cleaner twice a week just to see if that will stop the issues, but on the other hand I’ve been looking at houses to rent and ways for me to come off the mortgage as I can’t do this any longer if things don’t change. Has anyone had a similar experience? What do you think I should do. Thanks!
**** title should read “do I leave or try to make things work” ****
TLDR; Bf is obsessed with having an immaculately clean house and it’s ruining our relationship.

If anyone has time or information, I want to do a master swordsman build. Amari practicing doing combos but I want to have a bill behind it because I want to try to become a force to be reckoned with. Straighten mini boss material... Or just someone decent at the game at least. If yall can help I'd really appreciate it 😊

Ok, so I don’t think I can totally long story short this. But I’ll try.
I am a 35(f) and I met a 33(m) about two years ago. We became very close. We did the friends with benefits things. But we stopped because he just overall didn’t understand benefits are a privilege and not a unreciprocal beck and call kind of thing. But our friendship, super important to both of us.
In the past year he has had 4 different situationships/relationships. During these past two years his finances have taken a decline. But he still prioritizes women above handling his business. He wakes up texting several women (I mean at least 7 or 8 women in two phones a piece), DM’ing women on socials, swiping for women on dating apps and talking otp and FaceTime. He does it while he’s driving, at work, during shift and on break (we also work together) and on the way home, carries it on until he goes to sleep (which we work overnights 7p-7a) and he prolongs going to sleep to continue these escapades.
I then watch him waste time that he can use to work overtime to catch up on bills or at least rest since he’s always complaining about being tired and hating the night shift; on being up under women. He has made us late multiple times due to sitting in bed FaceTiming women and not getting ready for work, or having women come to his house before work and hanging out until the very last minute before leaving out.
His bills are so behind, he owns his home (I rent the downstairs) and he is a split hair away from losing his house. His grass is not cut at all. Which our city will fine him for. The backyard is insane and I mentioned he can pay someone to clean it up and cut the grass. He says he cant afford it. But he goes on dates and spends money on women. I want to tell him he’s going to crash out behind women. He doesn’t stand on business, he stands on his genitals. But I don’t know how to say things in a soft way when I’m annoyed. I’m literally witnessing him complain to me about finances and how nothing is right, but then tells me he’s taking a break from overtime, or he leaves work early to sleep with someone.
For clarity, my annoyance has nothing to do with the aforementioned FWB, I was giving context because I feel like ego wise as a man he may take it that I’m speaking from a different place. But for more context, I’m dating! And I have someone who adores me, so I’m only annoyed as a friend watching someone I’m close to not prioritize their business and complain about where they are in life. He invests so much time into “looking for love” but none into himself and his business. He has a business he puts no effort into, so he isn’t making any passive income. He has a job he won’t do any overtime at when he needs to. He spends every waking hour worried about women. Even his male bestfriend agrees. How do I tell him he needs to get it the f@$k together?

The Hanging Tree By John Westrick

The ball streaked towards little Jimmy Hanson, covering the distance uncomfortably fast. The scrawny boy two sizes too small with the aviator glasses, cringed out of the way. It landed directly where he had been standing, and like that the game ended.
“Damnit Jimmy, you're supposed to catch the ball not hide from it!” a fat kid with a glove on one hand cried.
A skinny boy with glasses turned from the pitcher's mound to look at Jimmy disdain clearly visible on his face, “This is the third run you’ve allowed, and you wonder why we never let you play with us. You’re dog shit! Actually, I apologize to all loads of shit out there, you’re even more useless. I’d prefer to have Roger Morris on our team and he can’t see a damn thing with those bug eyes.”
An easy-going boy with blonde shaggy hair and a confident smile strolled up to Jimmy, extending his hand to assist, and said, “Here let me help you up. After all, you're the best player on our team. MVP hands down. Come on boys, give him a cheer!”
The boys chanted Jimmy’s name in a mocking parade of triumph.
“I don’t need your help, David,” said Jimmy.
Dirt smeared and face growing hot, the embarrassed boy attempted to climb to his feet. The hand extended to help, struck lightning-fast, catching the smaller boy squarely in the chest. With a groan of pain, the dirty boy hit the ground for the second time that afternoon.
“Well, if I knew you liked to eat dirt so much, I never would’ve offered to help,” said David, a wolfish smile forming on the landscape of his face.
A chorus of cruel laughter echoed all around.
“I hate you David Baxly,” said the wheezing boy.
David looked at Jimmy with disgust, giving him a savage kick to his left kidney. “Why don’t you do us all a favor and die. I doubt even your family would miss you.”
The rest of the boys walked away leaving the bleeding Jimmy whimpering on the ground.
No longer crying from pain but seething anger, slowly he began to crawl to his feet. “I wish I could go somewhere else. Just pick up and move and never have to see those shitheads ever again,” said Jimmy speaking to no one in particular.
It was thoughts of revenge that occupied his mind, half-baked plans, he didn't have the courage to act upon. No matter, it wasn’t revenge he truly sought, but a friend. The idea of having people look at him and truly see him. Humiliation for David Baxly was just an added bonus.
The bloody boy was still fantasizing about these things, when he found himself staring at the intersection of Jackson and main street in the sleepy town of Brookhollow, Tennessee. Brookhollow is like many rural towns, so tiny that it doesn’t even appear on the map. There are 876 residents in the tight-knit community, according to the 2008 census. Main street boasts one general store, a gas station, the town hall, and Debbie’s Diner.
It was on the outside of the later building that he saw the missing sign of Jack Dunkin, a 12-year-old boy from a neighboring town a few miles to the west. Jack was from Polk, a slightly larger town and known rival to Brookhollow. Even though Jack was in the same grade as Jimmy, they had never met.
Jimmy looked at the picture and saw that the boy had been missing for nearly 3 months. He wondered how his mom would react if he was missing that long; he reached the conclusion that she probably wouldn’t even notice. Ever since she took that job at Debbie’s to pay for the remainder of her husband’s gambling debts, she was hardly even home.
She was gone when he woke and didn't come back too well after he was asleep. The only time Jimmy had any communication with Laura Hanson was on Sundays. Even this small exposure was tainted by the bone deep exhaustion. She may have been present, even so, she wasn't there. Laura wakes, eats, drinks, uses the bathroom; yet she isn't really living. She reminded the boy of those cheesy horror movies they sometimes play late at night. The walking dead.
As little as his interaction with Laura, at least she still lived in the ramshackle motorhome right off the main highway. His dad, if he even still qualified to be called that, left some time back, draining the joint bank account and leaving the two of them penniless. Jimmy didn’t even know where he stayed, let alone had a phone number for the bastard. A few years back he received a postcard from him. He was shelled up in some two-bit motel in the thriving city of Las Vegas. On the back of the card was a charming little note, it said, “Jimmy, I wish you could see the city. Maybe you could come out and visit. I’d love for you to come and hang with my friends. Ps. Could you have your mom send me some money, I’m in a little bit of trouble here.
This led to his first real fight with his mom. He was adamant on going and meeting his father, thinking that if he got to know him he could change him. Bring him back. His mom wanted nothing to do with the man, nor did she want her son to be hurt again. The argument got heated and words were exchanged. In the end, he stayed, but some things chafe over time. Things were never quite the same.
If the boy was honest with himself, he would have to admit there is no one in his life. He has no friends in school, there is no one waiting for him at home, and he is not a part of any extracurricular activities. He goes to school, comes home, does his homework, makes dinner for his mom, and goes to bed. It has never occurred to him that he is lonely, the fact is he has never known anything else.
Jimmy doesn’t actually live in Brookhollow, his house is about two miles north up highway 29. He lives outside of the school’s jurisdiction, so he is unable to take the bus. He walks to school every day. The walk is peaceful and he actually looks forward to it. The boy possesses an overactive imagination and gets lost in his fantasies. A little less today, his ribs ache with every step. But not even this inconvenience can ruin the solitary 2-mile trek back home. He makes no turns, highway 29 is main street. All he needs to do is walk straight and he will arrive at his house.
But he is not walking in rural Tennessee anymore. He is a pioneer exploring the Great Frontier. Native Americans and wolves stalk him at night, he must be aware of the dangers that lie beyond every turn. He can see his way through any situation with the help of his trusty companion and best friend, One-eyed Pete. Pete used to be an outlaw that robbed and cheated people, but changed his ways when Jimmy saved him from being hung on the hanging tree.
A shutter runs through his body every time he remembers the hanging tree. It’s the largest oak he had ever seen. He loves to climb trees but would never dream of climbing that one. It is twisted, not a single leaf on its branches. If evil was ever a location, it would be at the heart of that gnarled tree. Jimmy doesn’t like to think about it. It always seems to ruin his mood. Poison his mind. His fantasies always turn darker when he thinks of the oak.
Suddenly he is aware of exactly how alone he is. A full mile out from the safety of the town. No one is nearby. It’s just him, the trees, and his own tormented imagination. He wishes he wouldn’t have thought of that tree. He wishes he had a dad to pick him up from school, but there is no rescue for him. In Jimmy’s experience, heroes only exist in the story books.
“The hanging tree is in your mind, Jimmy, it isn't real,” he tells himself over and over as if to ward away evil. And why not? For that tree is most definitely evil, the hideous villain in an insidious plot.
In the primal portion of his mind, he senses danger. The same skittish feeling the antelope experiences shortly before the concealed lion pounces and feasts on flesh.
“Trees don’t eat little boys,” murmurs the frightened boy.
“Maybe so, yet that oak could hardly be classified in the same league as other trees,” responds his own treasonous thoughts.
The boy's mind splinters; warring factions jockeying for supremacy. Paranoia seizes him, inky black hands clawing the air out of his lungs. A young boy unaware of the inward mutiny happening amidst his own wits, completely left to his own demented imagination. Yet, the stakes of this adventure are a great deal higher than any he has yet to experience.
His mother was fond of telling him, “What you think, you become.”
A truly awful thought slinks into his mind unbidden. What if the stories his mind conjures could gain reality too? The thought overwhelms the boy. His eyes shift back and forth searching for threats. Jimmy’s senses are keen to his surroundings. Every twig snapping, a creature stalking. Every bush rustling, a hungry beast ready to devour. Yet, the petty fears of a child's tormented mind pales to the unearthly wrongness of the hanging tree.
“What if mom is right?” says the concerned boy to the emptiness. At this unwelcome thought the boy slams his eyes closed in a futile attempt to banish the horrific idea.
“The hanging tree isn’t real,” says Jimmy, knowing in his heart this isn’t true. In the back of his mind, the boy is certain that the moment he opens his eyes, he will see it. He will see the strands of rope dangling from the gnarled branches. He will smell the smell of decaying bodies. He will hear the creak of rope swaying gently in the cool breeze.
The boy doubles his efforts in a vain attempt to keep his eyes closed. He sees red due to the strain he is putting on his muscles. He hears the steady pulse of his blood rushing in his head. The boy also understands that all this effort is for naught. He must open his eyes at some point. Jealousy creeps into the boy’s heart. Envy for the man born without sight. For the boy understands the moment he sees, there will be no coming back.
The moment has come.
Jimmy can no longer keep his eyes shut. Seconds before his eyes fling open, he feels the gentle touch of someone's hand on his shoulder. This touch startles him, and the boy throws wide his eyes.
Sure enough a few hundred yards in front of him, stands the abomination. A lone tree on the top of a bald, scarred hill. Not a living thing to be seen. No vegetation growing on the hill, no squirrels scuttling about, just a great oak, standing; an obscene gesture to the god of this world. The only fruit of this tree the decaying flesh of dead men, and likewise, the only cup the curdled blood of those hanging. A final meal set for the boy, an unholy communion.
The hand, whose was it? Was it even human? The little boy left visibly shaking at the touch of the unknown. Is this death? The icy grip of the Reaper himself here to harvest with his scythe. No marriage, no children, not knowing the pleasures of true friendship. Life cut short, a lamentable state of affairs.
It was in this line of thought, where true courage was mustered. A strength measured not by the size of his muscles or the amount one could lift, but the more impressive type, the type quantified in the amount of shit one can wade. Identified in the amount of crap hands dealt without bowing out altogether. Young Jimmy Hanson did the unthinkable, he turned and faced death looking it in the eyes.
Eyes, yes, but death perhaps not. It was no titan of horror, nor was it the poster child of demented evil. Child it was, but this boy was familiar. Not anyone from his class, yet he knew the boy. In a moment of clarity, he recognized him. It was the missing kid, Jack Dunkin.
He looked identical to the poster on the side of Debbie’s Diner. He wore the same black and white Van’s tee shirt, ripped blue jeans, and some tattered Nike tennis shoes. The thoroughly terrified Jimmy stood staring at the missing boy, mouth ajar.
Jack with an easy-going grin plastered on his face, said, “It's about time, someone comes looking for me. I've been waiting for you Jimmy, far too long.”
With an audible click the boy shut his gaping mouth and responded, “Ja- Jack, you've been missing for nearly three months. Have you been out here all along? Are you alone? Are you hurt?” Jimmy fired these questions in rapid succession, growing more suspicious with each word.
“I’ve been right here, waiting for you to come and play with me. You see, I am like you. I never had anyone to play with either. Now you are here, and you must stay with me,” said the bigger boy with a smile on his face.
Jimmy’s mind quieted, for the first time in his life he saw himself clearly. A boy with no friends, no father, hardly a mother, bullied every day, and no way of escape. Clarity revealed the harsh truth. A day had not gone by that he wasn’t lonely. There was no one in his life. There was no life for him.
The undersized boy looked at the other with longing in his eyes. He thirsted for a friend, like a man lost at sea. He hungered for companionship, like a man stuck in the wilderness. It wasn’t just a desire; he was desperate for a friend. If the bigger boy would leave, Jimmy felt as if his soul would tear in half. His heart would shatter into a thousand pieces unable to be put back together. The boys' eyes were a mirror reflecting the same sad truth, they understood each other. Both had lived, and neither had anyone to share it with.
The boys bound by shared hardships grasped onto each other refusing to let go. The combined burden of loneliness lessened by two backs, instead of one.
With few words exchanged, the two of them created soul ties. Not the ties of lovers, but of lifelong friends. The type one dies for. The rare type of friendship that most people never form in their entire life. It was rich. It was wholesome. Jimmy felt as if his life was complete. The one thing he always desired truly fulfilled.
Jack grabbed the smaller boy’s hand and guided him towards the tree.
Jimmy, not wanting to get anywhere near that monstrosity, tried to pull back.
“Don’t worry. The tree is a good place. It will take us to a new land filled with boys and girls just like you and I. No David’s or bullies like him,” said a smiling Jack.
“How did you know about David? You’ve been missing all this time,” said a concerned looking Jimmy.
“Jimmy, I hear whispers. My friends tell me things. They will tell you secrets too. If you want to be friends with me, that is.” The bigger boy looked down at his ragged shoes. He looked so pitiful and Jimmy was so starved for companionship, how could he not follow the boy.
Jack led the two of them to the scarred trunk of the tree. Here he let go of Jimmy’s hand, telling the boy, “Do exactly what I do.”
Jimmy’s fear bottled up deep in his guts. He felt as if he was going to explode. The tree was sinister and twisted. Evil through and through. Yet, the little boy had never had a friend. He was not willing to throw that away so easily.
Jack walked to the lowest hanging branch. He reached up and grabbed one of the dangling nooses. He wrapped it around his neck and looked at Jimmy. “Don’t worry, no pain is felt. The hanging tree is magic. You’ll close your eyes on this world, and wake up in a better place with me and all of my friends,” said a smiling Jack.
“Ja-Jack, I don’t think I can do this. It seems dangerous. I need to go back home soon. My mom will be waiting for me,” said a terrified Jimmy.
A heartbroken Jack looked at the smaller boy and said, “Jimmy, I can’t believe you would lie to me. Your mom isn’t home and she wouldn’t even notice that you are missing. Come with me. I am the only one who cares for you.”
Tears streaming down the smaller boy’s face, he responded, “Please don’t make me do it! This place frightens me. Can’t you just come home with me?”
“No! This world despises people like you and me. We weren’t made for it. We were made for the hanging tree. This is where you belong,” snarled the bigger boy.
Jimmy, eyes still running, reached with trembling hands for the dangling noose. He seized it. With one final glance at his friend, the little boy placed the loop around his neck. Immediately the noose drew tight. It felt as if the tree was hauling him up by it. The boy kicked and squirmed. Trying to shout for help, but his airflow was cut off. He managed to make a choking noise, then with one final twitch all was still. Still as the glassy surface of a lake on a spring day.
Little Jimmy Hanson had finally made a friend.
The two boys remained dangling together, gently swaying in the stale autumn breeze.

https://reddit.com/link/1cre6bvideo/h6lmh3jz3a0d1/player
I just started the game a week or so ago, and I want to start using tripwire for wormhole navigation, as getting to and from null-sec through gates has cost me many a ship.
I finished watching Captain Benzie's video on the topic, (very useful vid btw) and went to test it out when this happened.
I've tried some of the methods it suggested with no success, there don't seem to be any abnormalities in the URL, and I'm at a bit of a loss.
For some extra information that may be relevant to the topic, I'm playing on an M2 MacBook Air. My house also has set up something called Pi-Hole (Network-level advertisement and Internet tracker-blocking application, that acts as a DNS sinkhole), that could be interfering with the site.
I would greatly appreciate some new perspectives on this, cause I'm stumped.