I was just sitting at work and reading a bunch of news about the war and I just had this panicked realization. Everyone around me either thinks everything is fine or acts like everything is fine. At any moment WW3 can break out. Fascismo c9ukd devastate Europe. People around me could lose their patience with my weirdness and neurodivergence and send me to some torture camp. My relatives could die and I am forced to take care of their special needs children despite being unable to take care of themselves. I could travel and be caught somewhere and unable to come back.
I still hear about stuff like pensions and buying an apartment. My entire family is screaming to buy property even if at a mortgage that takes away half my income and reduces me to eat cereal every meal. If I buy a place, it could lose all its value. I can't move anywhere else. Ok ndont know what's sqfe
And I know what you're thinking, "Just live a more connected and low speed lifestyle with a nice community and it won't matter whether things go bad or not". No. That to me is a waste of time. Masking around others is a waste of time. Volunteering is a waste of time. Socializing is a waste of time. I do not get joy out of any of those activities. I'd rather go on a hedonistic bender but even that I am afraid to do because of the possibility that I am ruining a career in the off chance of "what if things DO work out?"
How do you deal with this? The sheer sense of seeing everyone sleepwalk around you? Being bombarded with fake normalcy? They say that only madmen think they are the only sane people on Earth. Do you ever wonder if we are insane?

I really need some advice at the moment and I'm at a total loss, l've got a Yorkshire terrier and she's 14 years old and she's my absolute baby! I've owned her since I was 9 years old A couple of days ago I had to rush to the vets after fainting, coughing, non stop panting, foaming at the mouth ect and they kept her in over night We know she's had a collapsing trachea for a while but it got bad so suddenly, only the other month we went to the vets just because she was snoring, now we're here She's been given prednicare (also known as prednisolone) and libeo flav and we'll see how she gets along with it there may be a chance of the vet prescribing codine as a muscle relaxant if it gets bad I'm wondering if we can try cbd for the anti inflammatory, bronchodilator and muscle relaxating properties it has to offer Has anyone any advice on dosing, drug interactions side effects etc? Shes 3.7 kg Currently looking for ways we can help her best We have stopped taking on her walks until we get a harness, throat massages, nebulisers, weight management, making sure she's in the back garden often for fresh air, lifting her food bowls onto something so she doesn't have to strain her neck, reducing and avoiding stressful environments If anyone has any other ideas that would be amazing I just want my girl to be okay as it's tore me apart the past few days

Hello Vets, we were woken up at 2am to our 5 year old Boston bark and then yelp. When we turned on the lights we found her at the foot of our bed on the floor not moving. She was laying on her side and both her left rear and front libs were stiff. My husband did a quick all over exam and didn't find anything that appeared unusual so he tried to place her on her feet and she would not bear weight. She appeared calm but over the course of 20 mon while we monitored her did have some panting and awkward breathing pattern. So we drove to the emergency vet and there exam showed that while she would now bear some weight all her limbs were behaving unusually. They indicated possible seizure made her fall of the bed, maybe she sustained a blow to the head or there was something else neurological going on. As mentioned at home she was very calm and not making any pained sounds however after arriving at the vet she stared being visibly agitated and would move around the little bed we brought for her trying to get comfortable and whimpering. The vet suggestion this could be caused from the confusion of her limbs not doing what she wanted or expected of them. We decided at the time to do bloodwork and I asked if they could give her something to help her settle. The blood work results came back normal which she said was a very good indicator that she did not have a seizure so we decided to go with the anti inflammatory and take her home to rest. She has pretty much slept and rested since she we arrived home at 5am. She just recently did stir and so we allowed her to move as she wanted and just stayed close. She's still moving her legs awkwardly but she was bearing weight. She moved a bit and then settled into sort of lean into my son's leg and stayed there till we picked her up and put her back in her little bed and she's now sleeping again. I called our vet as soon as they opened but they can't see us till noon tomorrow. The butorphanpl lasts 6 to 8 hours according to the vet but I didn't think to ask how long it would take to see a full improvement if the anti inflammatory/pain med would work. The paperwork says 6 to 12 hours which takes us to 10am to 4pm but I wonder if I should just call the emergency vet and have them do the neuro referral or wait to see if she improves and see my vet tomorrow and see what he suggests. Guess I'm also looking for options from other vets. Pic of our girl at the vet for attention and a short video of her after the butrphanol kicked in. I've been too distraught to get a video of her strange movements and I don't want to disturb her right now to get one but I can add later if I can. I've attached Vets notes and her bloodwork.
https://imgur.com/a/gzsuarP

About half a year ago, my therapist helped me get approved for VR for my anxiety and my learning disability. The facility I received services at is in the Space Coast area of Florida. I was really looking forward to their services, as it is hard for me to keep most jobs (fast food, cashiering) because of my extreme anxiety. I didn't know what to really expect. I'd meet up at McDonalds with my career specialist assigned to me. She was helpful by showing me better ways to hunt for jobs on indeed and prepared a nice resume for me which I appreciated. I felt a little confused about the fact they tried to train me on how to be successful at interviews. I appreciated their advice though, but that is about the extent of what they did for me. They'd occasionally send me job listings through gmail which I would apply to. They also offered to take me to interviews which I also greatly appreciated. I have to admit though, some things made me feel really uncomfortable. The woman who did my intake and helped connect me to my career specialist was often sort of cold and unkind. At one point, I was living with people who were getting evicted. I had explained to her that I might not be able to keep a job in that particular area because I might need to relocate. It took me a couple weeks to finally get moved in somewhere, but almost every day this woman called me to ask for updates. At one point, she got upset and impatient with me because I hadn't been able to settle in a location yet. She often had that sort of tone with me, which made me uncomfortable every time I saw a phone call from her. She also talked about other people who receive VR and how they frustrate her. To me, It seemed like she didn't like her job & felt impatient because time is money to these employees. They assigned me to a career specialist named S. I won't give her full name for the sake of privacy. While she was helpful at times, she too would come off very impatient. Despite telling her I was hoping to find jobs that would be less triggering for my anxiety, she would apply to walmart cashiering jobs for me and other positions that are the opposite of what I would be comfortable with. She continued doing so even though I explained my preferences to her. When I found a job I was interested in, that I had applied for and scored an interview with, she told me I was making poor decisions. I had a feeling she was also in a rush because she wanted to get paid. I went back to the other woman who did my intake, we will call her M. I told her I wanted to try to work with another career specialist. While talking to her about this, she seemed annoyed but went ahead and put me with a guy named A. A usually had a pretty good attitude, and I didn't mind working with him. He listened to my preferences and tried to help me find jobs I'd like. But because M kept calling me and telling me I was taking too much time to find a job, I applied for a local grocery store and got hired on as a cashier, despite knowing I wouldn't be able to handle it because of my anxiety. A week in, I contracted norovirus and got sick. I left work for two days, but came back with a doctors note. While working at this place, I asked my boss two times about my schedule, and each time I did, she was really upset at me for asking her. I was also really confused as to why it made her upset that I asked, because I had no idea where to find out what days I needed to work. This particular boss was just mean to her employees in general. The people I worked with were at least nice, but my bosses attitude combined with the fact I still didn't know what my schedule was (And i was too afraid to ask her for clarification) made me feel so uncomfortable that I walked out. I told my career specialist the truth, but instead of understanding, he got upset and suggested he and I set a meeting up with my boss so he can try to fix the situation. He said "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but when we are in that meeting, I'm going to throw you under the bus a bit." He went on to explain that he was basically going to shame me in front of my boss about me having to miss two days and try to beg her to let me stay. I reluctantly agreed with his plan. It has been about four days and I haven't answered any of the messages or calls from VR. I know I can be sensitive, but I really felt uncomfortable with it all. I still do. I have had this impression, again, that the VR workers really don't care and they only care about getting paid. I felt similarly when I was in Jobcorps earlier on in my life. Myself and others were treated like delinquents and made to feel stupid there, in a place where people go to get career training.. to get help. But just like jobcorps, VR here feels like another place where people are treated with disrespect. Sometimes I don't know if its just me, or if these programs just suck. I know not everyone has a bad experience with VR. I would also like to mention that the office staff at the VR location I went to had a cold vibe about them. I don't know how to explain it. I mostly wanted to write about this here to get it off my chest. I don't know. Maybe I am the problem. Or maybe it is because I am in Florida.

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

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

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

Hi ya'll ✨️ I've been having trouble with some problem neighbors lately. They always have huge parties out front almost everyday that go into the night, hold up traffic, start fist fights, and even wave guns around most recently. They don't watch their kids very well either, so they'll throw trash and other random stuff over our fence. They also have a habit of standing outside our front window and intentionally riling up our dog.
The cops are called to this street a lot, but nothing ever really changes. My partner and I have plans to move but it's slow going, and it's really taking a toll on my mental health. (I talk to my therapist about this too!) I'm not sure I can handle another year here with this continuing until our lease is up. So far I have a huge chunk of black tourmaline right next to the front door with some selenite above it, and that's seemed to at least keep randos from sitting on our front steps and trying to open the door...
I have plans to do some candle work with a mix of black salt and oil to set an intention for them to move on peacefully, but I'm wondering if there's something more I could do for my own peace of mind and enhance the safety of my household and our other neighbors so I can focus on getting out of here.

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

Good morning everyone,
I was recently laid off and I have been openly looking for work on LinkedIn. I had a connect reach out regarding a job at her husbands work. He then reached out to me and there is a lot of interest on both ends. However, there is no Job Title/Salary listed - they are asking me what I would want it to be. I have 7 years of experience in digital marketing, primarily focused on Marketing Automation but also have done PPC, social media, graphic design, etc. Here are the details:

• Personal Injury Law Firm based out of Philadelphia
  • I am located in the suburbs of Chicago, fully remote position
• Reporting to Director of Marketing
• Responsiblities sent to me were in reference to a specific campaign for Pressure Cooker accidents. The responsibilities include:
  • Targeted Content Marketing: Develop blogs, infographics, and FAQs focused on pressure cooker safety and legal recourse available to victims. Create downloadable content such as safety guides or what-to-do checklists in exchange for contact information.
  • PPC Campaigns: Use Google Ads and Meta Platforms to run targeted ads using specific keywords related to exploding pressure cookers. Implement geo-targeting to focus on areas where these incidents are more common or where product sales are high.
  • Social Media Marketing: Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share stories of previous clients, safety tips, and legal advice. Run lead generation ads that direct users to a landing page where they can sign up for free consultations.
  • Video Marketing: Produce video testimonials of past clients and explainer videos on what legal steps to take after an injury. Distribute these videos on YouTube, TikTok, and as part of social media ad campaigns.
  • SEO and Local Search: Optimize your website content for SEO to rank higher for related search terms. Ensure your Google My Business listing is updated and optimized for local searches.
  • Email and SMS Campaigns: Set up automated nurturing campaigns to educate and engage leads captured through different channels. Use SMS to send quick updates and reminders about safety news or legal consultations.
  • Networking and Partnerships: Attend and sponsor industry events and seminars relevant to product liability and consumer safety. Join professional groups and associations where you can contribute content and expertise.
  • LinkedIn Marketing: Use LinkedIn for targeted ads and content marketing focused on demonstrating expertise and successful case studies. Engage with potential referral partners by joining discussions and sharing insightful content.
  • Referral Program: Create a formal referral program that offers incentives for other professionals to refer clients to your firm. Clearly communicate the benefits and terms of the referral program through dedicated landing pages and during networking events.
  • Co-Branded Webinars and Workshops: Host webinars and workshops in partnership with medical professionals or safety organizations. Focus topics on consumer safety, legal rights, and case studies related to product liability.
  • Direct Outreach: Use a targeted email campaign to reach out to potential referral sources with information about your expertise and past successes. Follow up with phone calls or personal meetings to discuss potential partnerships.
  • Content Marketing: Produce white papers, case studies, and articles that showcase your expertise and success in cases related to exploding pressure cookers. Distribute this content to potential referral sources and make it available on your website.

As you can see, it is essentially running the marketing department for the firm by myself. The Director is very opening to assisting if/when needed for anything I am uncomfortable with or isn't a strong suit.
With all of this information, what would my title even be, and what would be a fair salary for someone in the Chicago suburbs? The amount of responsibilities makes it feel like an Associate Director position, but traditionally Associate Director's aren't doing all the heavy lifting.
Happy to answer any additional questions - I want to make sure I am taken care of and not lowballing myself. Thank you

Hi yall, hoping y'all having a great day. I know usually only very good people write here but I know there are a lot of bronzies like me who usually cannot really apply the more advanced tips.
If you look at my post history you'll know I was b500 in OW1 and I played on/off on OW2 (Blizzard made it very hard for me to love this game again, but no it's good imo).
Last week I hit S5 for the first time since I joined OW, today I got S3 (technically a single winstreak too lol). I went back to look at some old VODs and analyzed my fights to bring a cumb of knowledge to this hell on earth.
I got basically 3 big things that will get you out of bronze on tank (I don't think these apply only to D.Va):

1. You have to do something, idling while shooting at the other tank won't win you the fight. It could be ovious to many, but I was doing it and the tanks I fight do that consistently. Try to get a pick, maybe dive someone. The only 2 times you should shoot the tank are if they're isolated and you can burst them or if you're in neutral trying to get some ult.
2. You have to balance feeding and playing safe, you cannot just do one of them. Use sightlines and don't LOS your support when pushing, but feed if you have a clear opportunity to get a pick/win the fight (obv don't die, spare your defensive CDs to get out)
3. Adapt to your team playstile. "My genji is feeding", "My moira won't heal me", "My lucio only speeds/heals!". That's normal. Wherever you are on the ladder, those players got there playing like this. Don't try to force them to play differently and don't expect them to. Your moira won't heal? Play safer, more sightlines and don't get poked. Your healthpool is enough to get you the fight. Your genji feeds? Feed with him, go full nuts in their team and secure enough picks to win the fight. Same thing with team comp, if you have ana + kiriko and they're hard poketing you don't be afraid, push that W key into the ground. As long as you're in their LOS you'll be immortal. You got Mercy + Zen? Don't push. Play defensive, use the damage to hold corners without taking too much damage.

Bouns: DO NOT FLAME your teammates. Be friendly, don't tilt them and if they fight in chat try to calmly de-escalate. Everyone can have a bad game, don't add to the already frustrating situation they're into.
GGs, GL HF!

I’ve been going out with this guy for a few months now. For the most part everything’s pretty good. He treats me better than anyone ever has. We were recently talking about insecurities and stuff and he mentioned he’d prefer I dressed more conservative when I’m not with him.
I love wearing dresses/skirts/heels and going out looking as cute as I can most days. I do get a lot of attention from other men, but I’m not dressing that way for the attention. I dress like that because it makes me feel good about myself. Yes I think I look pretty sexy some days, and I won’t lie I do enjoy the attention (even if I have no intention to get with anyone else) as it helps with boosting my self esteem and stuff.
It’s not like he’s telling me I have to, but it would make him more comfortable. I’m not too sure if I should take this as a red flag or if it’s a reasonable request from him. I’m just wondering what you ladies think 💕

I'm a young male and this is what I've learned about relationships for a man, so far based on :

• my own experience -observing the relationships and marriages of older friends and family members around me

I would love to get the insight and the opinion from older men and women in this subbreddit, i really like learning from other mistakes and experiences. So if you take your time to reply i really appreciate that,
The ideal relationship is where a genuine balance between affection and assertiveness coexist. Here are some key takeaways from my experience as a man:
1-Authenticity is Crucial: Being genuine in your actions and emotions is vital. Relationships built on authenticity tend to be more stable and fulfilling. Pretending to be someone you're not to spark attraction can lead to unsustainable and unhealthy relationships.
2-Assertiveness: It's important to voice your opinions and stand your ground. Disagreeing with your partner respectfully shows that you have your own convictions and aren't afraid to express them. This can create a dynamic where both partners feel valued and heard.
3-Genuine Affection: Showing love and affection shouldn't be a calculated move. If you genuinely feel love and appreciation for your partner, express it freely. Holding back out of fear of turning them off can lead to misunderstandings and emotional distance.
4-Individual Differences: Recognize that everyone is different. Some individuals might feel overwhelmed by constant affection due to their past experiences or attachment styles. This doesn't necessarily mean they are "emotionally broken," but rather that they have different needs and ways of expressing love.
TO SUMMARIZE:
-Don't be a spineless "nice guy" just because you need her to like you.
-Boldly speak your mind and voice your opinion, even if it goes against hers.
-Don't refrain from showing her all the love, affection, and security you want to show her.
-If showing love, affection, and security turns her off, it might not be about you, but rather about her emotional readiness for the relationship. This doesn't necessarily mean she is broken; it might just indicate a mismatch in emotional needs or readiness.
What's your opinion? Am i lost and deceived? Am i overthinking something that's supposed to be simple and natural? I would love to hear the opinion of older men and women that are in successful relationships, if you are someone that's bitter from past relationships, have a hatred towards men o women your opinion is not welcomed (I'm joking ;-))

i noticed as we flew through the sky, on our way to regroup with Lobelia's group, that in this dragon form drew in energy as i flew, maybe in a way to maintain the form, this was too new for me to know at this time. it didn't take long to reach the spot to regroup with Lobelia, but when we arrived, we didn't see anyone around the area. i decided to come in for a landing, since i figured we might have arrived a bit early and i didn't want to cause a panic in this form in case someone else came along. as i was landing, i suddenly felt a rumbling through the ground, questioning if this was a quake or something else. it didn't take long to get my answer since a mere moment later we saw a huge explosion off in the distance. i had an uneasy feeling about this, as i turned my head to look at Clint, Bruno, and Vince, whom all had the same feeling. with no words exchanged, i took back to the sky and headed in the direction of the explosion, hoping that this wouldn't be a repeat of my village. while we were still approaching the area, we saw a green light fired into the air roughly where we were heading. Clint yelled out to me, letting me know that was a distress flare the elf group used during their share travels following me to Dragonus. i started to pick up speed, as the group tighten their grips, to try to get to them sooner. when we arrived over head, we looked down on a field full of beasts, monsters, and demons. what once was an unknown future has finally come to a head and we had no other choice but to engage the enemies.
as we flew over the battlefield, i started to fire off different elemental dragon blasts to thin out the enemy groupings and help find where Lobelia's group was exactly located. they fired off another distress flare spell, allowing me to lock on to their location, at which time Clint's group heard me speak for the first time in this form. "do you trust me?", to which they each nodded, "then release your grip and follow me", to with they did. at this moment, i released the dragon form, sending us all into a free fall toward the ground. Vince started to cast every buff he could think of as we fell on the party, while Bruno, Clint, and i drew our weapons for battle. i focus energy into one of my hands and with a swing of my arm, i enveloped the group in wind barriers. just before we were about to make impact, i went into a drive-bomb stance, while charging as many elements as i could into my weapon. upon impact, my weapon blew apart, unleashing the elements and weapon fragments through the area, causing massive explosions, wiping out hundreds of enemies at once. Clint, Bruno, and Vince came in a mere moment later, causing shock waves around the area, sending enemies flying. i quickly pulled out two swords to duel-wield, has we started to fight our way through the hoards of enemies, making our way over to Lobelia's group. Clint's group went to fortify Lobelia's group, while i continued to thin the ranks in front of us, unleashing everything i learned during my training. Vince and a few of the elves cast various team buff abilities on me, as the others aided from behind, guessing worried that one of my new skills might catch them by accident. Lobelia took advantage of some strong winds approaching and caused the wind to form a few tornadoes on the battlefield with air magic. something inside told me what i should do, almost as if by memory, i combined together ground and fire elements and slammed the spell into the ground toward one of the tornadoes. followed by shooting off water and ice spells into another, then finishing by firing off a lightning dragon blast down the center of the field, taking out numerous enemies before hit another one of the tornadoes. the ground started to rumble as it split open and lava strayed out, heading toward the first tornadoes, opening a volcanic eruption underneath, forming a magma twister. the water and ice struck the next one, forming high speed ice tornado. the lightning hit another one, whipping it around until it became a voltaic twister. these three ripped through the battlefield, wiping out hoards of enemies by the second, until all three smashed together causing a huge explosion over the entire battlefield. we all quickly took cover, as everything came raining down, wiping everything out. as the dust started to settle, we all regrouped, everyone absolutely stunned by what just happened. when we could finally see the field again, we saw that there was still someone standing out in the middle of the battlefield. the lone survivor yelled out at us "you'll have to do better then that to kill me", just then realizing, he seemed to be a high ranked demon.
the demon stood there, staring us down, waiting for one of us to make a move. we debilitated if we should spread the group back out some, so that we wouldn't be seen as a single target for the demon. i told the group that i would go in for the attack to hold his attention and they should provide back up and support when they saw an opening. i stepped forward out of the group and started to walk toward the demon, as it started to smirk back at me. after i got enough distance between me and the group, i did a quick flap of my wings to shoot myself forward at the demon and start the battle. the demon readied for contact, as a mere moment later we made first contact of battle. in a flash the battle begin with us blasting around the battlefield, firing off attacks and spells nearly faster then the eye can see. everyone else took any small opportunity they saw to try and aid with buffs, spells, and attacks. the demon seemed annoyed by the interference to our battle and start to fire off attacks back at the others any chance he got. this battle continued as a stalemate for half a day, which the demon took any opportunity when we locked in a clash to taunt me. it would says things each time such as "this world is already going to be destroyed", "you all don't stand a chance", "you really think you can save them", and more of the like. it wouldn't be long before the demon started to put it's words into action, as a few of the elves shot off infused arrows at it when they saw an opening, just for the demon to catch them mid flight and redirect the arrows back at them, sending the arrows straight through their skulls and killing half the elves in Lobelia's group. this threw the groups into a panic, which caused them to act rashly in an attempt to take out the demon. Lobelia and Vince stayed back casting buffs and heals on the remaining people, while the remaining few elves, Clint and Bruno jumped into the battle in an attempt to end this. before i could stop them, they charged in for the attack and i needed to try my best to stop the demon from getting them as well. the battle intensified as we attacked from all sides in an attempt to overwhelm the demon and hopefully turn the fight in our favor. it seemed to be working as we seemed to be slowly damaging it, that is until i realized my attacks were the only few that actually doing damage. the demon suddenly smirked again and i quickly yelled out for them to get back, but by this point it was too late. as Clint went in for a swift strike, the demon caught his sword arm, ripping it out at the shoulder socket, and plunging his sword through his head. the few elves followed shortly after when the demon ripped one in half while skewering two more with it's tail, before smashing another's head in with a headbutt and the last one being sent flying with a kick to the chest and splattering on the ground upon impact. i had already moved in to try and stop him, but kept getting knocked back, as it's focus was on the other people here. Bruno went in for an attack as the demon was dealing with me and managed to chop off one of it's wings before it turned around and grabbed Bruno by the neck. before i could stop it, the demon plunged it's other hand straight through Bruno's armor and chest, ripping his heart out. before tossing Bruno's body aside, the demon took the sword from Bruno's hands and threw it in a spinning motion toward Vince, slicing him in two. before it could do anything to Lobelia, i fired off a full elemental dragon breath, blasting a giant hole through the demon. as i stood over the demon, readying to kill him, i asked if he had anything to say before i ended him. the ground started to rumble and quack as he said to us, "you fools, it's already too late, i was but a distraction. your world falls now!". i chopped off it's head as we hear explosions in the distance and the ground starts in split open and crumble. after all that had happened, everything we went through, and losing all but me and Lobelia, was this truly the end for us?

PURPOSE IN LIFE
The concept of purpose in life is deeply personal and can vary from person to person. For some, it is about finding meaning in their actions, relationships, or contributions to society. For others, it might be about pursuing passions, achieving goals, or fulfilling responsibilities.
Some find purpose in spirituality or religion, while others find it in personal growth or helping others. Ultimately, purpose can be about feeling fulfilled, content, and aligned with one's values and aspirations. It is a journey of self-discovery and often evolves over time as we gain new experiences and insights.
Find Your Purpose In Life Finding your purpose in life is a journey that often involves self-reflection, exploration, and experimentation. Here are some steps that might help you in discovering your purpose:
Reflect On Your Interests And Passions: Think about the activities or subjects that truly engage you and bring you joy. Consider what you loved to do as a child or what you find yourself naturally drawn to as an adult.
Identify Your Strengths: Reflect on your unique talents, skills, and strengths. What are you good at? What do others often praise you for? Your purpose may lie at the intersection of your passions and strengths.
Consider What Deeply Matters To You: Think about the values and principles that are important to you. What causes or issues do you feel strongly about? Your purpose might align with making a positive impact in areas that resonate with you.
Explore Different Paths: Don't be afraid to try new things and explore different interests or career paths. Volunteer, take classes, travel, or engage in hobbies that pique your curiosity. Sometimes, purpose is found through experimentation and experience.
Pay Attention To What Energizes You: Notice the activities or experiences that make you feel alive, inspired, and fulfilled. These moments can provide clues about what resonates with your purpose.
Reflect On Your Past Experiences: Think about moments in your life when you felt a sense of meaning or fulfillment. What were you doing? What made those experiences meaningful? Reflecting on your past can help you identify patterns and themes that point towards your purpose.
Seek Inspiration From Others: Learn from the experiences and journeys of others who have found their purpose. Their stories can provide insights and ideas that may resonate with you.
Be Patient And Open-Minded: Finding your purpose is a process that takes time and self-discovery. Be patient with yourself and remain open to new possibilities and insights along the way.
How Purpose In Life Can Aid In Life Success
Discovering and aligning with your purpose in life can significantly contribute to your overall success and fulfillment in several ways:
Clarity and Focus: When you have a clear sense of purpose, you have a guiding light to direct your efforts and decisions. This clarity helps you focus your time, energy, and resources on activities and pursuits that are meaningful to you, increasing your effectiveness and productivity.
Motivation and Resilience: Knowing your purpose provides you with a deep source of motivation and resilience. When faced with challenges or setbacks, your sense of purpose can give you the strength and determination to persevere, even when the going gets tough.
Sense of Meaning and Fulfillment: Living a purpose-driven life gives you a profound sense of meaning and fulfillment. You derive satisfaction from knowing that your actions are aligned with something greater than yourself, whether it's making a positive impact on others, pursuing your passions, or contributing to a cause you believe in.
Increased Creativity and Innovation: Pursuing your purpose often involves thinking outside the box, taking risks, and exploring new possibilities. This mindset fosters creativity and innovation, enabling you to approach challenges with fresh perspectives and find novel solutions.
Stronger Relationships: When you live authentically and in alignment with your purpose, you naturally attract people who share your values and passions. This can lead to deeper, more meaningful relationships built on mutual understanding and support.
Personal Growth and Development: Embracing your purpose encourages continuous growth and development as you strive to fulfill your potential and make a positive impact. You may find yourself pushing beyond your comfort zone, acquiring new skills, and learning valuable lessons along the way.
Health and Well-being: Research suggests that people who have a sense of purpose tend to experience better physical and mental health outcomes. Living with purpose can reduce stress, boost resilience, and enhance overall well-being, leading to a healthier, more fulfilling life.
The Benefits Of Finding Your Purpose In Life
Discovering your purpose in life can bring a multitude of benefits, enriching various aspects of your personal and professional well-being:
Increased Motivation: Having a clear sense of purpose provides you with intrinsic motivation to pursue your goals and aspirations. It gives your actions meaning and direction, making it easier to stay focused and driven.
Enhanced Resilience: Knowing your purpose can help you weather life's challenges with greater resilience. When faced with setbacks or obstacles, your sense of purpose acts as a source of inner strength and determination, helping you bounce back and persevere.
Greater Satisfaction and Fulfillment: Living in alignment with your purpose brings a profound sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. You feel a deep sense of meaning and contentment knowing that your life is guided by something meaningful and fulfilling.
Improved Decision-Making: Your purpose serves as a compass for decision-making, helping you prioritize what truly matters to you. It enables you to make choices that align with your values and long-term goals, leading to greater clarity and confidence in your decisions.
Enhanced Well-being: Research suggests that people who have a strong sense of purpose tend to experience better physical and mental well-being. They report lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as higher levels of overall life satisfaction and happiness.
Deeper Connections: Living with purpose often leads to deeper, more meaningful connections with others. You attract like-minded individuals who share your values and passions, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
Increased Creativity and Innovation: Pursuing your purpose encourages creative thinking and innovation. It inspires you to explore new ideas, take risks, and think outside the box, leading to breakthroughs and novel solutions in various areas of your life.
Personal Growth and Development: Embracing your purpose fosters continuous personal growth and development. You find yourself stretching beyond your comfort zone, acquiring new skills, and evolving as a person as you strive to fulfill your potential and make a positive impact.
Sense of Legacy: Living with purpose allows you to leave a meaningful legacy that extends beyond your lifetime. Whether through your contributions to society, your impact on others, or the values you instill in future generations, your purpose leaves a lasting imprint on the world.
Overall Life Satisfaction: Ultimately, living in alignment with your purpose leads to greater overall life satisfaction. You feel a sense of harmony and balance as you navigate life's ups and downs, knowing that you are living authentically and making a meaningful difference in the world.
It Is Never Too Late To Lean Into Your Purpose In Life
It's never too late to lean into your purpose in life. While some people may discover their purpose early in life and embark on their journey with clarity and conviction, others may find it later in life, or even multiple times throughout their lifetime. Here are a few reasons why it's never too late:
Life Experience: As you accumulate life experience, you gain wisdom and insight that can help clarify your values, passions, and priorities. These experiences can often lead to a deeper understanding of your purpose and what truly matters to you.
Self-Discovery is Ongoing: Self-discovery is a lifelong process. Just because you haven't found your purpose yet doesn't mean it's not out there waiting for you. Keep exploring, learning, and growing, and remain open to new possibilities.
Life Transitions: Major life transitions, such as career changes, retirement, or personal milestones, can prompt reflection and introspection, leading to a reevaluation of your purpose and priorities. Embrace these transitions as opportunities for growth and renewal.
Legacy Building: Regardless of your age or stage in life, you have the power to leave a meaningful legacy by living in alignment with your purpose. Your purpose-driven actions can have a positive impact on others and contribute to a better world, regardless of when you discover or embrace your purpose.
Resilience and Adaptability: Humans are remarkably resilient and adaptable beings. Even if you feel like you've strayed from your purpose or missed opportunities in the past, you have the capacity to course-correct and realign with what truly matters to you.
Inspiration from Others: Many people have found their purpose later in life and gone on to achieve great things. Drawing inspiration from their stories can give you hope and motivation to pursue your own purpose, no matter your age or circumstances.
Personal Growth: Embracing your purpose is not just about achieving external success; it's also about personal growth and fulfillment. No matter where you are on your journey, there are always opportunities to learn, evolve, and live more authentically.
The Wrap
Remember, your purpose in life may evolve over time as you grow, learn, and experience new things. Stay open to the journey and trust that you will find clarity and meaning in your own unique way.
Ultimately, when you live in alignment with your purpose, you create a life that is meaningful, rewarding, and successful on your own terms.
Success is not just measured by external achievements but by the sense of fulfillment and contentment that comes from living authentically and making a positive difference in the world.
Finding your purpose is a deeply personal and individual journey. Trust in your own path and timing, and know that it's never too late to lean into what truly matters to you and live a life of meaning and fulfillment.
I hope that these tips aid you in your journey toward life success, whatever that looks like for you.

I (41F) have a friend (38F) who I have known her since 2000. We reconnected in 2012 and we began hanging out regularly (maybe once a month?). In the last few years, I have found being in her presence to be quite exhausting. She constantly complains about trivial matters, all within her control, like minor dramas with her family, friends, work, etc. When telling these stories, she changes her voice to this whiny shrill. Despite my attempts to steer discussions toward other topics, she seems adept at steering them back to her preferred subjects. When this happens, I just nod as she goes on and on. I don't think she notices that I am not engaged.
What really gets to me is her clinginess, she never takes no for an answer. If I decline an invitation, she either interrogates me about why I can't hang/when I can hang out or hints that I should change my schedule to accommodate hers. If I end a hang out earlier than she likes, she either interrogates me again or insists on walking me home/wherever I said I need to go to, all which are out of her way. I've tried to space out our hang out sessions to every few months but she will try to drag those out/suggest hanging out all day. She is married to a great guy and I know she has a lot of friends so I am not sure why she is so determined for us to hang out.
While she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, I suspect her behavior stems from coddling, which has led her to believe that her needs and wants are paramount. Her behavior outweighs this niceness and as a result, I no longer have the patience or energy to be treated like an on call personal therapist. I've tried the slow fade but she either doesn't notice or chooses to ignore it, persistently trying to pressure me into hanging out. Blocking her seems too harsh (she is mega annoying but I save blocking for people who have done egregious things) and I'm hesitant about being honest because telling someone their mere existence drives you crazy isn't the most diplomatic approach. From what I've gathered, she doesn't handle confrontation well.
Can you please help me find a solution that's respectful but allows me to maintain my sanity? Thank you!

This is only my second post so I’m sorry if this is a little all over the place…
I am turning 22 in a few weeks and I feel like I lack a lot of the experiences most people have that make them who they are. In High School I was never one to go out and party/socialize (mostly cause I was never invited/didn’t like many people I went to school with) but I was never really bothered by it because I always had a good group of friends who just enjoyed sitting by a fire and talking. But as we’re all old enough to start going out now it seems to be all that they want to do on the weekends and I just cannot be convinced to go out. Bars and clubs have never been something I’ve envisioned myself being at, I’ve never enjoyed being in cities, I rarely drink and honesty I’m not ok being a DD since I have been one since we were 16, if we are going out I’d like to drink but also at the same time I can’t trust any of them to get me home safe so I’d rather just not take a chance. But at the same time I can’t help but look at myself at this point in my life and not think that I’m holding myself back from experiences that are important for me. Like I said I was never one to socialize a lot in Highschool so I’ve never been on a date, or really talked to a girl my age since highschool, something that I think is very important for me to have done by now and it’s starting to really weigh on me. And I know very well that I need to get out of my house on the weekends and socialize in person other than playing video games but bars, clubs, and really anything else that is suggested to me is of no interest to me. I’ve tried dating apps to try and at least get myself out there to meet people but that has done nothing but make me feel worse as I’m either ghosted or never given a response and makes me less motivated to go out and meet people in person. While also just not being very good at starting/maintaining conversations even with friends I am very scared to throw myself to the sharks in a sense but at this point I feel like it’s the only way to go anywhere. I’d appreciate any tips anyone has and I’ll try and answer any question anyone has to give context when needed.

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

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

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

Shorts are still playing psychological warfare. That's their game, that's their job.
The latest installment is the 125k shares they borrowed before market open (per IBD), which reflects borrowings from only one brokerage. They probably borrowed from others as well.
They did it because they're trying to SHAPE THE EMOTIONAL REACTION TO EARNINGS.
Blowout earnings would have been nice, but this was JUST FINE. The 7MM on compliance stuff was one-off. The mark-to-market... investing in deals with a little hair on IS THEIR BUSINESS. And they don't just invest/loan, they help those companies turn themselves around. The interim can be messy, but they've been making shrewd deals for 27 years, and consistently been successful.
And hey, if I were them, I wouldn't rush a GAG sale either. Or any other super-positive-news announcements, including on the earnings call. Why? Because their buy window (for companies and insiders) FINALLY OPENS two days after earnings.
If I were them, what would I do? I wouldn't rush a GAG sale. I'd announce earnings, buy back debt/shares at a massive discount... And then, after fortifying the balance sheet and benefitting shareholders that way, I'd complete the GAG sale (and possibly other intelligent moves) to further fortify the balance sheet.
That would be great for the balance sheet. It would be great for EPS. It would be great for shareholders. It would make fair value significantly higher. It would be a huge win for the company - turning lemons into lemonade for the company and all its shareholders.
As a friendly aside, which some of you may not like to hear... Buyer beware for those with a super-short-term orientation, playing options with near-term expirations. It's gambling. It can get you burned. The company's obligation is to make solid business decisions that generate returns. That's the long game. Their goal is not to create hype to drive the price high (only to have it knocked down when the shots stop flowing and the disco music stops). They're investing for the long term. Their actions will not be tailored to support your option positions. The low stock price hasn't hurt their ability to do business; they're structured smarter than that. So be careful, and if you see value in the company, make sure to take a position with an appropriate timeline. You may not like hearing that, but it's important to hear. Manage your risk. NFA.

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

Discovering the magic of your coloring

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

Winter

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

Summer

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

Autumn

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

Spring

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

Draping the Seasons

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

Four shades of green:

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

Four shades of red:

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

Four shades of blue:

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

Four shades of pink:

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

Questions & Answers

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

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

Winter (Cool) is Jewel

Spring (Warm) is Vibrant

Summer (Cool) is Lush

Autumn (Warm) is Fiery

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

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

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

It’s been a while since my last relationship and I’m ready to search again, I’m looking for someone between 18-21. A big need for me relationship-wise is honesty, loyalty and respect and patience those are big green flags to me personally.
I’m heavily attracted to intelligence, it isn’t a need but I’m also attracted to many other things like being calm,understanding,being trusting and hella more tbh.
I love to call/ft whichever is most comfortable So distance isn’t a problem personally
For hobbies I enjoy listening to different genres of music, reading, watching horror or romance series or movies and I usually get interested in my partner’s interests too.
Also I’m hella deep into love. That influences my future goals for a relationship and some general life goals I have
This chat gpt quote I was sent basically sums up my Ideals somewhat but still some of that isn’t needed:
Your ideal partner is someone who possesses intelligence and a thirst for knowledge, particularly historical intelligence, which you find incredibly attractive. They may not need to be the smartest person in the room, but their intellectual curiosity and capacity to engage in meaningful conversations about history and other topics resonate deeply with you.
In terms of personality, you appreciate someone who is reserved yet also values independence. You admire individuals who can depend on you and confide in you, but at the same time, you respect their need for personal space and autonomy. A partner who strikes a balance between being emotionally connected and maintaining individuality is highly appealing to you.
Your ideal partner values health and fitness to some extent, demonstrating a commitment to self-care and well-being. While you have a preference for individuals who maintain a healthy lifestyle, you are also understanding and accepting of different body types, as long as your partner prioritizes their health and takes care of themselves.
Culturally, you are intrigued by someone from a different background who can speak another language fluently or nearly fluently. This trait adds a layer of richness to your relationship, fostering opportunities for cultural exchange and mutual understanding. You appreciate diversity and embrace the unique perspectives and traditions that come with it.
Emotionally, you are drawn to individuals who demonstrate emotional intelligence and self-control. You value loyalty, trustworthiness, and effective communication in a relationship, considering them to be fundamental traits for building a strong and enduring connection.
Your ideal partner shares some of your interests and values, but also brings their own unique perspectives and experiences to the relationship. They are intellectually stimulating, adventurous, and open-minded, willing to explore new experiences and embrace life's opportunities alongside you.
In summary, your ideal partner is someone who is intelligent, independent, culturally diverse, emotionally intelligent, and shares your values of loyalty, trustworthiness, and effective communication. They are a companion who not only complements your personality but also enriches your life through their unique qualities and experiences.
So if you’re still interested after all that It’ll be nice to see your dm, N if not ,then have a nice day

This is just a vent because I don’t really have anywhere else to vent.
It would be a lie to say I’ve been feeling good lately, because I haven’t been lol, but at least the nonstop first trimester nausea had subsided around week 15. I’ve been dealing with other discomforts like horrible back and pelvic pain and headaches, but at least the nausea had eased up and my appetite was back to normal for the past month.
Suddenly, like 2 days ago, I started to get that gross taste in my mouth again, and started to get that icky feeling in my stomach. Suddenly the “I feel like I need to puke if I’m not eating every hour” feeling is back, and no food is appetizing again. I hate it here 😭😭😭
I’m trying to focus on the good stuff. Had my anatomy scan last week and baby is looking good. Only things were that they couldn’t get a good enough look at the heart so I need another scan, and I have a low lying placenta. I was told to not worry about either thing, so I’m not, but I wonder if the low lying placenta has anything to do with my belly/pelvic pain. Some days I can’t even walk, sit, or sleep because the pain is so bad.
I told my OB about my really back pain and headaches and she’s referring me to a high risk specialist, because of my age “just in case”🥲 (I’m 37) it’s ok, I’m not upset about it, and I’d rather take every precaution necessary.
I’m just so tired of feeling like crap. I want to enjoy my pregnancy. I’m worried about how crappy I already feel and how much longer I still have to go. I’m so afraid of ending bedridden or worse.
Ok. Vent over. Thanks for listening/ reading.