Here is a link to a specific point in a youtube video showing a lot of gear on a table. Using this as an example setup... how could I pack this type of functionality into a case so that I have one power cable to plug in? And how could I go from walking through the door to performing with the theoretical minimum of set up?
The specific music 'instruments' aren't the important part to me... those would have to be made reachable/convenient, and I may have guitakeys/mic. The part I'm most concerned about are the other elements.
I'm open to all links/strategies/approaches.
https://youtu.be/4C01nQavi6U?t=475
Thanks!

I'm not very good or understanding of scripts. I've looked at a bunch of scripts online that say they can do it, but when I try to add them I get errors, or don't know exactly how to make it work to do what I want. The coding of it confuses me and I really need a simple one, or an explanation of what I need to change to make it work.
I'm basically trying to find a way to have a sheet with permit expiration dates autofill and update only once a week to get around the loading times and upload limits. Right now, my IMPORTXML function for each permit tries to fetch the info too often and after a while every cell ends up as "Loading..." or "#N/A" because of the upload limits. I really only need them updated once a week since they expire every two years.
I have about 80 employees, so 80 rows. Each employee has two different permits. The below examples are just for one of the permits, but would need to update both columns, so about 160 different cells. People get added and removed often, so there is a good amount of shuffling and could be more or less than 80 people at any given time.
The setup for the sheet is basically this:
I have column named "Permit Number" which has a hyperlink to the webpage of the person's permit that has the expiration date.

=HYPERLINK("website.com", Permit Number) 

Then I have another column called "Expiration" which displays the expiration date. The IMPORTXML function pulls the webpage from the Permit Number hyperlink cell (C3 in the below example), then gets the date from that. Also note that each permit has its own webpage and unique URL.

=IMPORTXML(INDEX(SPLIT(FORMULATEXT("C3"),""""),2),"/html/body/div[2]/div/article/headediv[2]/p[4]","en_US") 

As I said, this works perfectly at first, but unfortunately it tries to update too often and leads to errors. I want to find a way to have the script just fetch the dates, then instead of providing that information, actually copy and paste it so that there is no constant fetching of data.
I also acknowledge that trying to run more than like 20 IMPORTXML functions at once usually leads to delays, so if there is anyway around that, I would love to know.

Hi everyone! As a little treat to myself I've booked a weekend in Napoli, landing this Friday 17 May. I'll be travelling solo and just wanted to know if anyone else is doing the same and would be interested in making a new fried and catching up for a pizza? Feel free to DM if you want to know a bit more about me or my plans in Napoli (I'm renting a car and doing the Amalfi coast on Sunday for example)

I grew up playing gen 3 and gen 4 mostly, that was kind of my Pokemon golden age, so I was pretty excited to get into playing the 'remakes'. It took a while, but I got there! Mostly positive experience, but theres some stuff I really just don't get.
Overall, I enjoyed BD. It feels very much like the OG Diamond, just looks a bit better (depending on who you ask). And while this similarity is a good thing, it's also my biggest gripe with the game.
There's lots of different ways you see the game industry describe these sorts of games: remaster, remake, definitive edition etc. Pokemon tend to avoid such titles, but this is very much a remaster in my opinion rather than a remake, and certainly NOT a definitive gen 4 experience, and I really think 'definitive' should be what these Pokemon 'remake' games aim for.
Here's some of my issues with it.
Issue 1: I do not understand why a definitive experience isn't given to the player in these 'remake' games, in particular I'm talking about 'Event' Pokemon, and meaningful new content (one and the same in many ways).
I hate the idea of 'Event' Pokemon. I always have. Where I grew up, we didn't have access to Event Pokemon. So Deoxys, Darkrai, Shaymin, Arceus etc. were always out of reach for me, and it always bugged me as a kid. How does a game like this get created, and the developers don't take every opportunity to truly make this a definitive version of generation 4? This game should have standalone events in the base game for Darkrai, Shaymin, & Arceus.
I get you can transfer them easily now with Home, and from Legends: Arceus save data you can get the Azure flute, I do get that - but it's not the same, and a separate game shouldn't be a requirement. I just do not understand why they can't make these games the definitive experience they should be, it just feels so outdated and unfair to players to have Darkrai/Shaymin events time bound and never repeated (and who the hell wants to just get a legendary off a mystery gift, it sucks. Whatever if its a shiny variant or something, but for the regular Pokemon? Trash). Just put them in the base game, or for goodness sake even make it purchasable on the Nintendo store if you really want, I'd honestly pay 4.99 for a Shaymin/Darkrai event add-on (though that too shouldn't be necessary).
I just feel the game would've been so much more satisfying and 'complete' if there were events included for these previously unobtainable Pokemon. It feels lazy and just not in the best interests of the player, or the game.
I give ORAS some credit with this in terms of how they handled Deoxys, overall I thoroughly enjoyed that and it did give me that satisfaction that I never got when playing RSE. I say 'some' because I still don't understand why Jirachi wasn't given the same treatment. The same applies to the likes of Mew in FRLG, Celebi in HGSS. I just don't get it.
Issue 2: We are so beyond Pokemon games needing difficulty options. Look, I know the games are for kids but Nintendo surely know their audience by now, a lot of people have grown up with these games and will continue to play them, at least allow us the choice of a challenge.
This game is a piece of cake. I casually strolled through it without any sort of trouble, skipped numerous trainer battles (of which their are honestly so many it becomes draining and takes away from the fun), and still didn't experience any sort of challenge until Cynthia's Milotic made me somewhat consider a tactical move choice.
Exp. Share completely kills the difficulty. Is there a way to turn it off? I had a quick check and couldn't find one. If there is, well I rescind this point, if not, then the point stands.
Issue 3: Something that will likely never happen, but I really wish for the remakes they would just focus on the third entry in the gen. For example, instead of BDSP, just focus on a Platinum definitive experience. Emerald, Crystal, if and when they do B/W I truly hope they incorporate the story of both BW & BW2 into one game if at all possible, a truly definitive experience of gen 5 (though, I won't hold my breath).
Issue 4: Is it just me, or does the Pokemon art style lack something? I've been staring and staring and I feel like it's the lack of black edges/outlines. Obviously, sprites had it. But we even saw it through Gen 6/7. I think since SwSh, the lack of those outlines really takes away from the designs - but look, this is just a personal take. I don't hate it, I just feel like something's missing.
I'd love to hear some other views on it, the above is by no means gospel, just some thoughts I found when I finished playing. Some satisfaction, but some disappointment in a big missed opportunity.

0. High level summary

I propose that fault lines may play a significant and under documented role in what is happening with UFOs and specifically the impact of fault lines on some number of UFO related crashes. I suspect energetic effects from fault lines and gravity effects from mass variances in fault lines (especially while active) impact UFO/NHI navigational systems. They may do things like routing around, or via, fault lines.

1. A new leaker: Dijkstra's algorithm and Diablo Canyon.

On May 13th, 2024, a claimed leaker on UFO/NHI related programs posted on /Aliens with details on their history with the "Program".

• Link.
• Archive link.

It's a huge volume of data but one very particular passage instantly stuck out to me:

"The craft use a system that originally befuddled generations of researchers, but it's essentially a 3D dijkstra algorithm. It finds points around the craft, and chooses the most efficient possible route through space time to get to that point. Some of the parameters it uses to gauge efficiency are totally unknown to us and are a serious point of contention. It's not autonomy, but rather obstacle avoidance not unlike what you would see in a self-driving car. But, the self driving car could go through air, space and water without worrying about what medium its in. Additionally, the algo accounts for the crafts place in time."

And then this surprising sentence shortly after:

"Although the algo is extremely effective, Nuclear explosions and experiments somehow interfere with this navigation. Craft particularly avoid Diablo Canyon, even if we put something they really want there."

So, this Dijkstra's algorithm and Diablo Canyon.
I can find not one single prior reference to this anywhere, ever, in all of Ufology prior to that Reddit post.
I think this is entirely new, or new to the Internet for UFO topics.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dijkstra%27s_algorithm

In a 3D version of Dijkstra's algorithm, the algorithm extends from two-dimensional plane navigation to three-dimensional environments, making it suitable for applications such as drone flight paths, underwater vehicle navigation, or spacecraft trajectory planning. The algorithm begins at a starting node, exploring all neighboring nodes and continuously updating the shortest known distances from the start to each node, considering all possible paths. By repeating this process until the destination node is reached, the algorithm ensures that the path with the minimal total distance or cost is selected, taking into account the complexities of moving through 3D space. So, we have the introduction of a known means of navigation, that does 4D (by inclusion of a temporal parameter) mapping in this model.
Then we have the inclusion of Diablo Canyon -- but there are six of these in North America. Three of these are very close to government sites.

• Diablo Canyon Power Plant, California (nuclear)
  • Nearest government: Vandenburg AFB, 35 miles south.
• Diablo Canyon, New Mexico
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory, 20 miles north.
• Diablo Canyon, Washington
  • Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, 70 miles northwest.
• Diablo Canyon, British Columbia, Canada
• Diablo Canyon, Utah
• Canyon Diablo, Arizona

Which could the leaker be talking about? And why is it interesting in the context of UFOs?
Why would a UFO avoid a canyon?

2. Energy fields, UFO navigation and "fault lines" in gravity.

There are numerous reports and stories of things like claimed lasers, directed energy weapons/fields, and even allegedly things like RADAR having some manner of detecable impact on navigational capabilities of UFOs/NHI craft. The lore is full of this topic over time, and it aligns substantially with the scientific backgrounds of people known to be involved, like Sean M. Kirkpatrick.
This caught my eye as I've been doing a lot of reading on certain much lesser-known effects of fault lines, after I learned that the home and neighborhood I lived in as a child, where a group of us saw a "saucer", was literally sat atop a small land mass completely encircled like an island by fault lines. This is not unique--there are others. But this was a wild surprise to me, and especially when the flight path of the ship we saw... once I saw the fault lines path/heading...
It was the same route. The thing we saw, once I saw the fault line maps... it was like looking at a snippet of a Google Maps route that the UFO took, for the duration of our experience seeing it. I did not know this for decades.
For the curious, the bread crumb that led down this path was not this whistleblower, fault lines, or my own experience. It was studying Lagrange Points.
What's a Lagrange point?
Positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies, like Earth and the Moon, balance out the centripetal force felt by a smaller object, allowing it to remain in a stable position relative to the two larger bodies. Think of it like the mid-way point between any two bodies with mass that impact gravity. Earth/Jupiter. JupiteSun. Earth moon/Neptune. You/your cat. It's not a 50/50 thing; if you are and your cat are 10 feet away, it's not 5-foot between you. It's also impacted by gravity from other bodies within range (and range is infinite because gravity is, no matter how infinitesimal at long distances).
There is even conceptually such a place, even if it's trivial in variation, between galaxies.
Keep in mind: there are specifically named 3D mapped always-moving (as Earth/moon for example) always-in-motion Lagrange points for the Earth and Moon. Five total--but those are just the optimal ones. There would be a relative band of space where overall the gravity between bodies is more balanced.
Almost like a fault line in gravity, huh?
That, the fault line discovery related to my experience, and my (then) unrelated fault line research which was pure curiosity unrelated to UFOs... at first.

3. Piezoelectrics, Electrokinetics, and Gravitational anomalies.

So we have a new claimed 4D mapping/navigational tool by NHI UFOs, and that they go out of their way to avoid some "Diablo canyon" no matter what we do. We know definitively there are places where gravity can have relative weak spots, due to the balancing of gravitational waves/forces/mass between bodies. All bodies with mass produce gravity... including tectonic plates.
But that's not all they produce in terms of energy.
Fault lines can generate three different distinct effects beyond seismic (shaking/motion) impacts on the world.
They are:
Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects
Stress-induced piezoelectric effects refer to the generation of electrical charges in certain crystalline materials, such as quartz, when mechanical stress is applied. These effects are caused by tectonic stress and strain in the Earth's crust, which deforms the crystalline structures, generating electric fields. At the surface, these effects can disrupt local power grids, cause voltage fluctuations, and affect sensitive electronic equipment. In the atmosphere, piezoelectric effects can lead to changes in the ionosphere, affecting radio signal propagation and GPS accuracy up to altitudes of around 600 km. In space, the impacts are typically observed as changes in ionospheric electron density, detected by satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), such as those at altitudes up to 1,200 km.
Additional reading:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seismoelectrical_method

Electrokinetic Effects
Electrokinetic effects are electrical phenomena that occur when a fluid (such as groundwater) moves through a porous medium (like soil or rock) under the influence of a pressure gradient. These effects are caused by the movement of ionized fluids through the Earth's subsurface, which can be influenced by tectonic activity, fluid injection, or natural fluid migration. At the surface, electrokinetic effects can alter groundwater flow, impact water supply systems, and cause electrical disturbances in subsurface sensors. In the atmosphere, these effects are less direct but can influence humidity and ionization levels, which may affect weather radar and communication systems. In space, electrokinetic effects are typically not directly observed; however, related ionospheric disturbances from fluid movement in the Earth's crust can be detected by satellites at altitudes up to 1,200 km.
Additional reading:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetotellurics
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrokinetic_phenomena

Gravity Anomalies
Gravity anomalies are variations in the Earth's gravitational field caused by differences in the distribution of mass within the Earth. These anomalies are caused by subsurface geological structures such as mountains, valleys, fault lines, and varying rock densities. On the surface, gravity anomalies can affect precise geodetic measurements, influence surveying accuracy, and impact construction projects that rely on gravitational data. In the atmosphere, gravity anomalies can slightly influence the flight paths of aircraft and atmospheric satellites, but these effects are generally minimal. In space, gravity anomalies are detected by satellites like the GRACE mission at altitudes of around 500 km, affecting satellite orbit calculations and providing data on Earth's subsurface structures and water distribution.
Additional reading:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_anomaly
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouguer_anomaly
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-air_gravity_anomaly

4. The impact of fault lines on UFOs.

Disturbances related to stress-induced piezoelectric effects, electrokinetic effects, and gravity anomalies have been observed and recorded at various altitudes. Here are some notable examples across different categories:
A) Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects

• High-altitude Observations: Piezoelectric effects typically influence ground-based systems such as power grids and sensors. There is limited data on their direct impact at high altitudes. However, atmospheric electrical phenomena, such as changes in the ionosphere related to seismic activity, have been noted up to several hundred kilometers above the Earth's surface. These are often detected by satellites in low Earth orbit.

B) Electrokinetic Effects

• High-altitude Observations: Electrokinetic effects primarily affect subsurface and near-surface fluid dynamics. There is no significant evidence of direct electrokinetic phenomena being observed at high altitudes. However, related atmospheric effects, such as changes in humidity or ionization, can indirectly influence atmospheric layers.

C) Gravity Anomalies

• High-altitude Observations: Gravity anomalies have been detected at high altitudes, including by aircraft and satellites. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, for example, operate at altitudes of approximately 500 km and have provided detailed maps of gravity anomalies across the Earth.

Specific High-altitude Observations

1. Ionospheric Disturbances Related to Seismic Activity:
   
   • Altitude: Up to 600 km.
   • Impact: Changes in electron density in the ionosphere, detected by satellites.
2. Gravity Anomalies Detected by GRACE Satellites:
   
   • Altitude: Approximately 500 km.
   • Impact: Detailed mapping of Earth's gravity field, revealing variations due to tectonic and other geological processes.

Summary

• Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects: Up to ionospheric altitudes (~600 km) via indirect atmospheric electrical phenomena.
• Electrokinetic Effects: Primarily near-surface, with no significant direct high-altitude observations.
• Gravity Anomalies: Up to satellite altitudes (~500 km), with significant observations by GRACE and similar missions.

Reports say that the navigational apparatus of UFOs can be impacted by energy fields, implying this plays a role in their crashing. Similar claims revolved around electromagnetic fields.

5. Why would UFOs avoid "Diablo Canyon"?

We need to know which one it is. The most likely based on the intersection of fault lines; fault lines with impacts; and near proximity to notable UFO-related locations--Vandenburg and Los Alamos--leaves us with New Mexico and the nuclear power planet.
Here are all nearby relevant fault lines for each.
This section took a substantial amount of digging/cross referencing over weeks. I had begun this for a fiction/story idea that didn't pan out, and did not save the litany of sources I read. This is a summary.

A) Diablo Canyon Power Plant, California

• Hosgri Fault Zone

  • Location: Offshore, running parallel to the coast near the power plant.
  • Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects
    • Specific Locations: Documented near Avila Beach and Montaña de Oro State Park.
    • Relative Strength: Moderate compared to other equivalent faults in California, such as the San Andreas Fault. The presence of quartz in the fault gouge enhances the piezoelectric effect, making it comparable to effects observed in the Garlock Fault.
  • Electrokinetic Effects
    • Specific Locations: Recorded near Diablo Canyon Power Plant and Morro Bay.
    • Relative Strength: Comparable to electrokinetic effects seen in the Hayward Fault in California due to similar fluid movement dynamics.
  • Gravity Anomalies
    • Specific Locations: Detected offshore near Point Buchon and Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
    • Relative Strength: Significant compared to other coastal fault zones, with variations similar to those found in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

• San Andreas Fault

  • Location: Approximately 10 miles inland from the power plant at its closest point.
  • Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects
    • Specific Locations: Parkfield, California and Hollister, California.
    • Relative Strength: High, as the San Andreas Fault is one of the most studied and active fault lines globally. The piezoelectric effects are significant and comparable to those seen in other major fault systems worldwide.
  • Electrokinetic Effects
    • Specific Locations: San Juan Bautista, California and Carrizo Plain National Monument.
    • Relative Strength: Significant, due to extensive fluid movement and high seismic activity. Comparable to effects observed in the Wasatch Fault Zone.
  • Gravity Anomalies
    • Specific Locations: Palmdale, California and San Bernardino, California.
    • Relative Strength: Very high, with anomalies providing critical insights into fault mechanics. Similar to those in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

• Shoreline Fault

  • Location: Discovered in 2008, runs very close to the plant, offshore and parallel to the coastline.
  • Length: Approximately 25 miles.
  • Within 5 miles: The Shoreline Fault comes within 5 miles of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
  • Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects
    • Specific Locations: Nearshore areas close to Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
    • Relative Strength: Potential effects are moderate, with less documentation compared to major faults.
  • Electrokinetic Effects
    • Specific Locations: Offshore areas near the power plant.
    • Relative Strength: Comparable to minor faults in coastal regions.
  • Gravity Anomalies
    • Specific Locations: Offshore near Diablo Cove.
    • Relative Strength: Minor, indicating subtle density changes.

• Los Osos Fault

  • Location: Within 10 miles of the power plant.
  • Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects
    • Specific Locations: Los Osos Valley.
    • Relative Strength: Minor compared to major faults but notable within the local context.
  • Electrokinetic Effects
    • Specific Locations: Areas with significant groundwater flow near Los Osos.
    • Relative Strength: Comparable to small, groundwater-rich fault zones.
  • Gravity Anomalies
    • Specific Locations: Los Osos Valley.
    • Relative Strength: Minor anomalies detected.

B) Diablo Canyon, New Mexico

• Embudo Fault

  • Location: Within 20 miles of Diablo Canyon.
  • Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects
    • Specific Locations: Near Dixon and Pilar, New Mexico.
    • Relative Strength: Moderate compared to other faults in the Rio Grande Rift. Similar effects to those observed in the East African Rift.
  • Electrokinetic Effects
    • Specific Locations: Near Embudo, New Mexico.
    • Relative Strength: Moderate, consistent with other active rift zones with significant groundwater interaction.
  • Gravity Anomalies
    • Specific Locations: Near the town of Española, New Mexico.
    • Relative Strength: Significant, providing insight into the rift's complex tectonic structure. Comparable to anomalies in the Basin and Range Province.

• Pajarito Fault

  • Location: Within 20 miles of Diablo Canyon.
  • Stress-induced Piezoelectric Effects
    • Specific Locations: Near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
    • Relative Strength: High, due to active seismicity and the presence of stress.
  • Electrokinetic Effects
    • Specific Locations: Near White Rock, New Mexico.
    • Relative Strength: Significant, due to active groundwater flow in the region.
  • Gravity Anomalies
    • Specific Locations: Near Los Alamos National Laboratory.
    • Relative Strength: Notable, with detailed mapping providing insights into fault mechanics.

6. Conclusion

Simply, some variables on the navigational systems of the UFO craft which rely on precise 4-dimensional mapping for their navigational system, with implied near real time adjustments across all parameters, are negatively impacted by unexpected or significant enough to not be able to compensate for impacts from native Earth effects generated by tectonic plate actions, in specific key locations.
I'd often suspected if there was something like this related to the handful of known crashes, and them seeming to be concentrated in certain areas. With this leaker, we see another few possible pieces of a puzzle filling.
Are they legitimate? We obviously can't tell, today. But this new data sure does align with:

1. Reports of the USA trying to "bait" UFOs.
2. Reports of the USA utilizing nuclear facilities to this end.
3. UFO engagement with nuclear sites.
4. UFOs reportedly avoiding certain areas, not limited to prior crash locations.
5. UFOs reportedly being seen over time in similar or comparable routes/locations.
6. The USA getting big into gravity research along these lines (gravity scanners for military).
7. Elizondo references to LIGO.
8. And more beyond, that I'm sure more of you can recite from memory than I could.

Maybe this has some part of the genesis of the mythology of ley lines, because ancient humans couldn't possibly on their own know all these things. Were they just energetically charged fault lines that had some manner of intersection over time with UFOs?
If anyone wants to run with this or research equivalent sites in other parts of the world and their intersection with UFOs/UAPs, this may be a worthwhile rabbit hole for pursuit.

So I've reverted back to boymode for the last 2ish months because I suffered some aggression from strangers at the mall/on the city bus. One of them almost got physically aggressive with me but I was able to avoid that. Since I've been back in a masculine expression, I've seen just how far I am from being able to pass as a woman and I am no longer surprised that I was receiving negative attention from bigoted people. I do not look even remotely feminine and I certainly do not look like I've been on hormones for the over 2 years that I have. It's really been a miserable experience that I've tried to come to terms with. My therapy has been helpful but it has been focused on how to be comfortable as a man and how for some transgender people "just knowing is enough" and not everyone has to medically transition...
I have the opportunity to get FFS in the coming year, which I am excited about but I find myself hesitant. Because there is so much about me that is clocky, for example wide ribcage/stocky build/broad shouldegorilla hands etc... that if I were to get FFS it really wouldn't do much for me passing... but all it would serve to do is eliminate my boymode as something I could run back to and hide in. With FFS it's possible that, while I still wouldn't pass, I'd be forever in this state of "obviously trans" no matter if I dressed femininely or masculinely.
I just wish the answer were more clear. I wish I knew that with FFS I'd likely pass and not have to worry about bigoted assholes humiliating me wherever I go in public. I think a perma-detransition is likely in my future. Going under the knife and surgically altering my face is a lot to ask given that the outcome is so uncertain.
Has anyone else gone through this? Idk if I can take being closeted for the rest of my life but I also don't know if I can withstand the hatred that clocky trans people get in this world.

Hi everyone!
New parent of a 2 month old baby with questions on bottle feeding. For various reasons our baby won’t do breastfeeding so we opt for express milk and bottle feed her.
Me and the wife have been wondering about the 4-5oz feeding rule every 3-4hour. Our thought process has been, for example, if baby needs 4oz every 4 hours that would translate to 24oz a day.
It takes like 40 minutes for our baby to eat 3oz, and then fall sleep, she will take 1/2 oz or so in the next 2-3 hours and then fall sleep in between and we are concerned we are not reaching to that goal.
We have made our due diligence on this matter but wondering how do you all doing your bottle feed length. As long as she eats 4oz in a 4window interval, is that okay?

Hi!
My [28F] best friend [30F] Katie and I met back in college and we became quite close and lived together at about 19/21
She doesn’t drive but when we got closer I started bringing her to work with me to cocktail waitress. I had to change the one I was working at because they denied her and we had to go to one an hour away but it was fine I loved being able to hang with her so often.
After that year she graduated, moved a state away ~ 2/3 hours drive.
When Katie first moved she was pretty lonely so i would visit her frequently, sometimes every single week. I would go there for entire weekends, birthdays, holidays, sometimes to take her to work with me up there, etc.
For example things like she had a brief fling with someone who hurt her so I sent a gift and then visited the next few weekends. When her cat died I did the same with a gift and visited, i rented an Airbnb when her grandfather died so she could grieve with me away from roommates, etc.
She has come to visit me twice and sent a gift once. We of course still talked ~5 days a week if not daily and still do to this day.
2 summers ago she got engaged and for the proposal I was there among one other friend and the rest was 50+ people entirely family that’s how close we are.
Since that summer I had a huge breakup of ~8 year relationship it was pretty rough and ended up in psych ward. I then had surgery, separately spent almost a month in hospital and almost died . I also had a bad car accident, and she forgot my birthday.
She didn’t send a card, visit or anything. She rejected my sisters wedding invite as well, even though I asked her to come since I was still sad about breakup. I finally confronted her at the end of the year saying how hurt I was and asking her to visit because I needed her after the awful year I had and she said she loves me but she’s busy, thatI expect too much and she sent some flowers.
For her wedding, I was gonna be MOH until they decided family only due to how large their families are. (65+ people) I was hurt but alright not my wedding.
Saturday I visited for a bachelorette, me and her siblings split the bill it was great.
Sunday Katie texted me saying thanks for coming and among other stuff I said I was happy to be invited despite no friends being able to be at the wedding.
Then, Katie tells me over text how people dropped out of the wedding so she invited another friend + her husband and then two of the grooms friends. Not me. I have yet to answer her text about that and she’s texted me twice since about random filler nonsense.
I feel like I have put in so much effort and gotten minimal in return. So AITA if I keep ignoring her? AIO? Is this normal and I’m expecting too much?

Okay so i went out with this guy that i met at his station, i was washing my car there. He talked to me, we went out more than 5 times, and went to his house too. He tried to kiss me after 1 week, but after another week he tried again and i kissed back, it was nice. We went out again and this times for drinks at a pub, when i dropped him off (his car is low and on the way to my house his car would for sure break-thats a good reason but still he should have made an effort and come using the long way). Anyways when dropping him off he kissed me and started putting his hands down there and i was refusing telling him its too early. He then approached me in way thats not elegant like it needs steps, he just said do me a blowjob or taste it. I was like no. He left. Then we saw each other the day after, we went to his apartment, talked and watched some videos. He started again putting his hands down there. The apartment is being renovated so its somehow dirty and ghetto couch is dirty, there is no vibe. He then said give me a blow job then again i rejected him. He then "attacked me" by saying ur always in ur comfort zone, u dont try something new, you dont like adventures, and started giving me silly examples as in trying a new restaurant. I was like im 27 thats not an adventure. The day after we talked very little then the day after even little. He use to wake up and message me immediately and before he sleeps also with a video call, and message me during the day. 1-Did he want to use me for sx only? Like its been only 2 weeks. And now hes not talking at all. Like if we were friends or if he were to be interested he would be talking to me no? Should i message him or be honest that his approach to something sexual is nice (needs more steps for me to get engaged W... it)? 2- in these 2 weeks he told me everything about him and his family, he told me he doesn't talk to people about these stuff. 3- he was always tired but made the effort to see me, was it all for something sexual? 4- how do i need to ask him or tell him that its early and the approach isn't sexy or nice? 5- Should i tell him what im thinking or let it go it’s only 2 weeks?

I keep having dreams that feel like memories/feel real…
This has been ongoing for a couple of weeks now, I have dreams that are so vivid that during the day I remember them and they feel like memories as opposed to dreams. For example I have dreams of going to work and talking to coworkers and doing normal things, and even though I’m aware these are dreams (and that they couldn’t be possible) they feel real and like they might’ve happened.
Anyways, last night I had my worst one yet. I caught my brother raping my sister, and it had been ongoing for years. When I found out I killed him, and I felt so bad for my sister and not knowing sooner. I just woke up and I feel anger towards my brother even though I know it was a dream, it still feels like it was somewhat real. I had glimpses of thoughts of killing him irl because of it, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I feel normal. However, I’m starting to have this weird idea that I’m living two realities (one in my waking state and one when sleeping). I know this probably isn’t true, in fact its highly unlikely but my dreams feel so vivid that its tricking me. These thoughts come and go, they aren’t a constant thing however the idea still pops into my mind and lingers.
Does anyone else experience this?

Hi everyone! I'll be in Rome for 3 weeks on October, where I'll study Italian on a school for foreigners. I'll have classes on mornings and be free the rest of the day, so I can't leave the city except on weekends. I'm very into cultural stuff, so while I won't have a very large budget, I'd love to watch some kind of performance, like a ballet or orchestra, and I'll be very grateful if someone can make recommendations about how to look out for the tickets, if there is something I'd have to be attentive for (like dress code or something else) and the like.
I'd like to buy some books too, since Italian books are really hard to get here where I live. Is there a bookstore that is a kind of tourist trap that I should avoid?
I've only been in Europe once before, for a similar study programme in France in 2018, so if things can be compared, I'd much appreciate to know what to expect. For example, do the Italians restaurants have a "formule"? Do the places normally accept credit card or should I rely only on cash? I've seen the Mensile Roma Capitale Card to move around, but isn't something that I could use to travel around the Lazio region like the Navigo Pass?
And for the weekends, when I'll be able to travel more freely, what are your recommendations, considering I'll have to be back in Rome by Sunday night? Is Airbnb widely used in Italy or should I consider some other? (I've heard in a podcast that Uber is not very reliable in Italy, so now I have a doubt about any other popular service, haha).
I think this is the best context I can provide. Please feel free to recommend me anything you might think it'll be useful!

I have always been a pretty big fan of the idea of lower taxes and all, but even I know that somethings just need to stop and reform is not only inevitable but needed and quick. Let’s take unions for example, unions are a good way to guarantee power to workers without giving them more than the company and keeping both parties even. See no one wants to see a union led by some extremely underweight and annoying person, someone who is uncompromising and genuinely believes they’re always right. Let’s take another example being the good old tax the billionaires argument, the idea of this is pretty simple billionaires should pay higher taxes and yes that’s pretty simple but you have no idea what you are talking about, no I do not have some idea that I may become a billionaire I have some idea of how economics work and you don’t. Let’s take another example, student loans, these are also a fairly simple argument, individuals can not pay back there student loans properly, you solution is to just have the government pay off the whole loan, anyone with half a brain understands that this would never fly in the government and if it did it would be met with hell from people who have payed there’s and didn’t take any out, and more simple examples is just fixing the situation at its heart, reforming the programs, stoping interest and reducing taxes temporarily for individuals paying it off, allowing the student loan crisis to slowly fix itself, a crisis which let me say could have been left alone.

My name is David and i would love to have some nice relaxing conversation about things that makes you and me relaxed. Mainly white noise for example, or fictional imaginary places you would like to immerse yourself in. It would make me calmer. DMs are open.
Yeah i know probably a weird request.
Basically looking for anyone who has a nice imagination and can talk about nice things in a abstract way.

TW: SA
For some context, I 22 (F) have a sister 21 (F). Ever since we were 15 and 16, she has had these crippling migraines. She has been to over 18 different specialist all around the country trying to figure out what is wrong with her, and they have found absolutely nothing wrong with her. Over the years she uses her migraines as an excuse to get out of anything she doesn't want to do, for example church, school, family events. But her migraines miraculously disappear as soon as something she does want to do comes up. Personally, I suffer with migraines as well our difference is mine was diagnosed from the TMJ that I now have from dislocating my jaw when I was 12. She loves to use her migraines as a way to either get out of something she doesn't want to do or uses it to garner sympathy from friends' family and strangers.
In 2019 she used her migraines as an excuse to not go to school at all and used them to get a doctor's note stating that even though she cannot attend school she should still graduate. 2020 rolls around and we can no longer go to school because of Covid and miraculously she has no migraines and goes out day and night to hang out with friends. Then when she goes off to college all of a sudden, these migraines come back coupled with severe dehydration to the point where she has to be hospitalized on multiple occasions, except these migraines only occur Friday Saturday and Sunday mornings after her sorority throws a party.
Summer of 2021, she gets the opportunity to participate in a college work program in Florida for the whole 3 months of summer. She goes and after only 3 weeks of being there her migraines get so bad that she has to come home. It is important to note that she comes home the day before Father's Day. Father's Day comes and we all go to church and out to lunch and have a great time. That night however my parents come to my room to ask me if I have spoken with my sister this evening and I tell them no. They proceed to tell me that my sister has runaway to Virginia (we live in Oklahoma) to live with her Boyfriend 26 (M) and that she has sent them a video to explain why.
This video states that she is leaving and never coming back because she has been assaulted on multiple occasions by multiple men in her life and that it is too traumatic to even be in the state so Shes leaving. She then follows with telling my parents that they are horrible people who have never loved or cared about her and that they are the reason this is all happening. She also sent similar videos to her friends as well. This video absolutely crushed my parents, it was the first time I ever saw my dad cry.
We grew up in a strange family, my parents couldn't have children of their own so they adopted us. But our biological families are all still very much in our lives. Our parents are the most amazing and caring people in the world and would give life and limb to anyone in need. So, to hear her saying these things about my parents not only hurt them but it also hurt me to see her putting them through all that.
She was only gone for a month because eventually my father flew out to her to get her and bring her home. Now I am someone who has to know everything, I cant leave a topic untouched, I always have to investigate and get every side of the story. But in that month, I ended up uncovering a few things about the stories she told in those videos she sent to my parents and her friends. In that time, I uncovered that the stories of abuse that she was speaking about were of previous boyfriends that she had had. Every single boyfriend had a story of abuse, and these stories had credible witnesses attached to each and every story. While combing through all of this information I come to the educated conclusion that they are false and told only in a specific way to frame her as the victim using a way that no one would dare call her a liar because who would blame the victim?
When she came back it was really hard on everyone because we had all been heavily affected by this experience that she has put us all through, but she just acted like it never happened and continued to act like she deserved everything. But anytime anyone would mention anything about what happened she would absolutely freak out scream and curse and throw a massive tantrum and storm off and slam her door. In this time, I have personally decided that I will just act like she doesn't exist, I won't speak to her or acknowledge her.
Fast forward to now January 2024, she has convinced my parents that the best thing for her is moving to Florida to go to school because in her words "it is the one place I don't get migraines". I pointed out to my parents that the last time she lived in Florida she only lasted 3 weeks before claiming migraine. Apparently, she only lasted a month at the school before dropping all of her classes and just living it up in her apartment that my parents pay for. And she only informed my parents over spring break that she dropped out because her migraines were too bad. She is now home and living with my parents again and continues to spread her stories of assault and abuse as well as her stories of migraines to literally anyone that will listen.
I'd like to add that throughout all of these years she never fails to make sure I am the one that somehow suffers through it all. Throughout her Migraines I was the one that had to take care of her, I was the one that got in trouble when she screwed up, I was the one that had to pay for all of her mistakes. After years and years of watching her lies not only hurt me and my family but also slowly chip away at what used to be a happy and close nit family I don't think I can live with it any longer. My mother continues to stand by her side and call me a liar anytime I call my sister out on her lies, and my relationship with my mom has suffered for it. My father knows my sister is lying but fears speaking up because it might anger my mom. This whole experience has divided our family.
Another thing of note is that I value honesty over everything else, I will call anyone and everyone out on their bull. This last weekend we were at a graduation party and sitting there and listening to her speak and talking about all of this to literal strangers and because we were in public I had to physically literally bite my tongue to keep myself from speaking which resulted in me actually biting off a piece of my tongue. I honestly have come to the end of my rope of patience and I don't want her in my life anymore. So am I the asshole?

People say “it” is objectifying, but that’s only because until now the only gender neutral things in English were objects. We also refer to animals as “it” pretty often when we don’t know the sex.
Having gender neutral pronouns for people is new, so of course using the already existent gender neutral pronoun is going to feel unnatural. But it’s better to work with what we already have. For example:
“They want to go to the movies for their birthday.”
“What? I didn’t know it was the twins’ birthday”
Vs.
“It wants to go to the movies for it’s birthday”
“ ohhh it’s its birthday”
Or
“Doctor, they need a surgery right now! Their appendix is about to burst!”
“Oh geez, I probably only have one more surgery left in me for the day. Might as well go home now”
Vs
“Doctor, it needs a surgery right now!”
“Ah, it needs a surgery. Good thing I have one more surgery left in me for the day.”
The examples are ridiculous but appropriating a third person plural could cause miscommunications, some quite serious. And I am a big on communication.

I know Atlantic City just dropped, and I found the added content great - it got my friends and me back into the game with all the other updates there had been since before The Pitt dropped.
I am curious if adding regions closer to the original blast zones could be possible and making Radiation a very real threat - I'd love a Fallout 76 take on The Glowing Sea or a Glowing City, for example, perhaps for the sake of trying to help people in a heavily irradiated area who have trouble fleeing thanks to other Wasteland dangers, like Mutants or Slavers/Raiders.
I've noticed that, with the one of the factions in Appalachia that players need to cooperate with to launch nukes, they're never involved outside of Appalachia, especially with the premise that they are watching the "player" very closely. That faction could easily exploit a player in another region or city if it were to benefit that group by using side objectives to change the direction of an expedition if they are followed.
I've also noticed this to be common with many other factions too, and that some depth of having the Responders, or the Raiders, or the Settlers, or just other Appalachia groups having some connection or influence would make the story in new regions feel more connected.
I would love to see some out of region influences on Appalachia and vice-versa, especially if the responders leave Appalachia via vertibird to actually assist and save lives in other cities or states. I feel there is just so many factions in Appalachia that could have further, outbound influence past Appalachia, or get the player to commit to optional and side related quests with the idea that the player is directly involved with the building blocks for games later in the series (and much later in time)
I'd also love to see some changes in Appalachia related to the expeditions, even if they are small, like roaming, unique Raider groups or new, named, wandering traders - unique enemies or gangs or even monsters.
Personally, I want the player to have a "Geniune Hero/Heroine" moment, and the idea of being able to, say, help a group of settlers flee a city due to an oncoming radiation storm, being unable to do so in an area close enough to a bombing site due to Slavers waiting for them and Mutants that could be in area sounds enticing to me. Especially if other factions could change the story by adding their own, optional side objectives - and with it being so close in time to the original bombs being dropped, I believe a group of civilians cornered off by raiders or Mutants could theoretically find a way to survive in the environment at great costs and it would be a positive representation that the player can explore by going through their stories and, eventually, searching for A resolve to the situation those people are in.
I know there is new content being added bit by bit, but I'd love to have an expedition that deals with radiation as a dangerous environmental danger and some grim reality surrounding radiation while keeping the idea of fighting named, dangerous mutants and slaveraider types for the sake of action and gameplay and story.
I am not sure if this is the right place to put this whole word salad, so, sorry if it's the wrong spot! I'm not sure what others thoughts are about this, but I'm just sharing what I feel is somewhat lacking in Fallout 76. The radiation just doesn't feel like a threat or an environmental hazard or explored as deeply as I feel it could be game and story wise and an Expedition surrounding that theme would be a good addition in my eyes.

I’ve been married to my wife for 6 years. We dated for a year and I knew her for about 2 years prior to that. Also this is a throwaway. My wife frequents this sub from time to time.
The other day my wife, 32, and I, 35, had a conversation about trust. We have two children together, pregnant with our 3rd, and I trust her to the moon and back. With my life. She told me that despite how long we’ve been together, and our kids, she doesn’t fully trust me, about 85%-90% she said. I was a little surprised by this answer.
A little background, I’ve never cheated on my wife. I’ve actually never cheated on anyone. Not when we were dating, not when we were married. I’ve never given her a reason to not trust me. She has my phone password, email password, basically all of my social media account passwords as well.
She told me she doesn’t trust me partially because we have disagreements here and there, as well as the fact that she had a very hard past, where previous partners had cheated on her.
I do feel the distrust between my wife and I. And I feel as though it has created somewhat of a strain on our marriage. and our kids.
For example, in the fall, about 2 years ago, my brother was celebrating his 37th birthday at a pub/restaurant near his home. We live in the UK, so the drive there isn’t that bad. He lives about an hour or so from me, so when he initially asked me to come to his birthday event, I told my wife and she agreed to watch our (at the time) 4 year old, so I could go to his birthday outing. She was pregnant at the time as well. As the date approached closer, my brother shared the location for the evening. It was at a pretty fancy pub, with music, dancing, a restaurant, good food, pool and overall fun time. He already made the reservations as well.
Last minute, my wife told me she didn’t feel comfortable with me going. She said at pubs, you put yourself in an environment where you can be unfaithful, and she’d rather go together when she wasn’t pregnant. But the thing is, I wasn’t going to get hammered, or totally wasted. I was driving there and back. I was going to celebrate my brother’s birthday.
We got in a big argument about it and I just ended up staying home. Thought it as a bit much but moved on. Had our second child.
Fast forward a bit,at this point we’ve been married for about 4 1/2 going on 5 years. I get a message on twitter from my ex. Apologizing for everything, and just saying have a good life. I don’t respond, I blocked the ex, told my wife, and my wife was furious. She snatched my phone from me and demanded to look. I told her I didn’t save the messages, and swiftly deleted it when I blocked her. She started screaming at me, asking why I even use twitter in the first place, (I use twitter to keep up with some celebs) because she doesn’t have one, and I should just delete it. I ended up deleting twitter after that.
We moved on from this. Now she’s pregnant again.
So what do you think? Why does my wife treat me this way when I’ve given her no reason to distrust me? After two kids, and pregnant with our 3rd, I’ve given her the world, and somehow she still doesn’t trust me.

Hey guys, so I noticed that I often lose myself in positive, yet egoic thoughts like reminiscing old memories. For example a great day I had with friends or partying at the lake. I noticed that whenever this happens, I lose Presence and totally enjoy my thought processes. So much so, that I don’t even want to be present and it’d feel like a chore to feel the Inner Body because the movie in my head is so positive. Can anyone relate/offer help?
Oh and while typing this I noticed that my mind often tells me things like „Eckhart is enlightened, so should you be“ and „you’re wasting your Life if you’re not meditating“. Is there a way to remedy this type of thinking? I mean, I laugh about it but part of me thinks it’s true.
Kind regards guys!

For the most part, DH and BM have a civil, decent relationship. Definitely not high-conflict (thank goodness!). As someone perpetually on the outside of decisionmaking regarding SKs but affected by those decisions, I've had to work pretty hard on letting go and going with the flow, and I'm doing okay at it of the time. But nonetheless stuff does come up that just kills me.
This week's example:
SD10 last year started liking a sport. This spring, BM took SD10 to try out for the competitive team, which she made. SD10 is really excited! It's great that our budding couch potato is getting really into a physical activity, and that she gets to do something she enjoys and is good at and is willing to invest dedicated effort into. So far, so good.
BUT. Big but. DH finds out last week that oh, by the way, the team has a REALLY EXPENSIVE up front cost BM hadn't told him about until now, and his part is due ASAP.
DH can't afford this giant surprise payment BM committed him to. Especially not right now because it's a really strapped month for unrelated reasons.
DH isn't going to say "no, SD10 has to quit this team she's super happy with and is good for her, just because I can't afford it." I don't want her to have to quit the team, either. It would break her heart and this is a really good thing for her for so many reasons! We are all excited she's so into this and I'm proud of her for taking the next step in the sport.
So the only solution besides making SD10 quit the team is to find a way to pay for it. To do so, DH will need to work extra hours until late at night every night for over a month straight.
Because of choices I don't get to be part of or have any input into, for five weeks I will basically only get to see DH during weekend kid time, the only time he is not working. And DH is stressed and unhappy and exhausted already, one week in, so he's not going to have any energy for any of us even when he is home.
I am happy for SD. I respect DH for working so hard to provide. But I want to cry because we've only just started this stretch and already I feel so alone.

This is one of my favorite parts from a Japanese fan novel that I really like. The characters are reincarnated in another world, with some of them retaining memories of their past lives. Mondo is a 32-year-old carpenter, and Celeste is a high school boy recently arrested for certain illegal acts. I really like Celeste's description of the killing game, so I wanted to share it. Here is a translation:
About an hour later, Oowada was visiting a certain place. He took a deep breath through his nose.
"Smells moldy," he muttered under his breath, though he wasn't sure if it was actually mold. He clicked his tongue loudly, causing a staff member in the corner, who was spreading out a notebook to record their conversation, to flinch. Oowada closed his eyes and laughed through his nose, wondering if such a timid person could handle working in a juvenile rehabilitation facility.
This was his first time visiting here as a visitor. A cramped, narrow cage that boxed everything in, isolating the boys from society. It was a place he had been confined to many times before and hated more than anything.
But even so, his safety was guaranteed. There was no way a killing game would happen here.
"It's lukewarm... no, that's how it's supposed to be," he muttered as the door opened with a cheap-sounding clatter. At that sound, he quietly opened his eyes.
Sitting with his legs spread on the hard, leather sofa, arms crossed, he watched as a beautiful boy, dressed simply in a shirt and slacks, entered the room with a straight posture. When the boy saw Oowada, he lightly tilted his head and smiled, causing his neatly trimmed long black hair to sway.
"Hello, uncle. I didn't expect you to come."
Oowada’s eyes twitched at the boy’s words, but seeing the suited facility staff who entered behind the boy, he closed his mouth.
The boy sat down across from Oowada with a low table between them, placing a hand under his chin and deepening his smile.
"It’s been a while." "…Yeah." "I was just getting bored, so I’m very glad." "…Yeah." "I thought you were hospitalized… Are you feeling alright?" "…Yeah." "So, uncle. Why the sudden visit? Did something happen?" "…Yeah."
As Oowada grunted in response, he glanced around the room, noting the staff in the corner and the one quietly standing guard by the door, wondering how to begin. The boy, seemingly understanding everything, smiled knowingly.
"...It seems like it might be difficult to talk like this."
Oowada raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the boy who whispered this in a low voice. At the same time, the boy raised one delicate hand, snapping his fingers lightly.
At this signal, the staff in the corner nervously, and the one by the door calmly, exited the room. Their abrupt departure made it seem like they could no longer see Oowada and the boy.
In shock, Oowada stood up from his chair.
"What the...?"
"Well, as they say, money talks," the boy said nonchalantly, brushing aside the troublesome bangs that fell over his forehead with a swift motion of his fingers.
"No matter the means, the assets I’ve accumulated have come in handy. I went through a lot, you know. Selecting useful personnel, seizing opportunities, negotiations, instructions, and so on. The fact that you’re here talking to me now is thanks to my sweat and tears."
"You made it so I could get in here by claiming I'm your family?"
"I just included potential visitors on the list. I asked them to allow visits by making up a connection within three degrees of kinship based on the visitor's age."
"Who the hell are you calling uncle, you..."
"You're my uncle. You should feel honored and act accordingly. Don't make that face like you're some relative mooching off a rich family member."
"Huh!?"
"Well, whatever. In any case, you're my first visitor. Welcome."
Ending the pointless conversation, Oowada, finding himself unsure of how to direct his emotions, clicked his tongue and looked up at the ceiling with a weary expression. Contrary to Oowada’s rough demeanor, the boy elegantly crossed his legs, lightly arching his back, and smiled mysteriously.
"So, once again. It's been a while, Oowada-kun. It's the first time we've talked properly since our past lives. A lot happened the other day, but I won't apologize. So don't expect an apology. With that out of the way... what brings you here today?"
A cramped, narrow cage for boys, cut off from society, where everything was neatly boxed up. It was a place he had been confined to many times before and had hated more than anything.
However, in the hands of Celestia Ludenberg, it seemed even such a cage could transform into a modest mansion with servants. Oowada, leaning back on the sofa and tilting his head back, exhaled deeply in exasperation.
What followed was a strange silence. Even though he had been asked why he was here, Oowada didn’t immediately respond. No, he couldn’t respond.
Torn between the hesitation of how to start the conversation and whether he should even talk, his thoughts bounced back and forth. Watching Oowada intently, Celeste shrugged slightly.
"Well, there’s no use rushing. By the way, Oowada-kun, when it comes to visits, one expects gifts. Did you bring something?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
As if he had just remembered, Oowada pulled out something from the pocket of his jacket that he had bought from a vending machine on the way here and placed it on the table. What was scalding hot when he bought it had now cooled to a lukewarm temperature.
"Luxurious Royal Milk Tea. Made with plenty of first-pick Uva tea. The smoothness of Hokkaido cream enhances the flavor. Enjoy a luxurious moment."
Celeste glanced at the so-called luxurious moment that cost 120 yen from a vending machine with a blank expression. Nevertheless, he muttered a thank you in a monotonous voice and reached for the pull tab. The expression on his face clearly read, "Are you kidding me, you piece of shit," but Oowada ignored it.
"Well then, until you're ready to talk, how about listening to what I have to say?"
Taking a sip of the Royal Milk Tea and making a noticeably displeased face, Celeste continued in a calm tone. Oowada didn’t mind. He nodded with just his eyes, and Celeste placed his fingertips on his cheek and looked up at the ceiling.
"At that academy, the mastermind... No, now that I remember, I can say for sure... The detailed and elaborate preparations of that rotten bitch Enoshima created an environment that made killing almost inevitable."
The sudden start of the unexpected topic made Oowada frown, unable to read his intentions.
"For example, the situation was based on several psychological theories. As I explained a few times at that school... no, with that corn-head of yours, you might not remember, so let me explain again."
"Huh? Are you picking a fight with me?"
"The prisoner's dilemma."
Ignoring Oowada's words with a calm expression, Celeste continued without even glancing at him.
"Additionally... the zero-sum game. Moreover, due to unconsciously recognizing a hierarchical relationship between the mastermind and themselves, there might have been effects similar to the results of the Milgram experiment."
"…Could you explain it in a way I can understand?"
"You don’t need to understand the theories themselves. To put it simply, as I said before, 'The mastermind created an environment that made us psychologically prone to committing atrocities.'"
Taking another sip of the Royal Milk Tea and making another dissatisfied face, he placed the half-finished can on the table and looked back at Oowada.
"This is just a psychological theory. But now, let’s bring in a sociological theory and consider this: 'Why don’t people commit crimes?'"
The emphasized words sent a chill down Oowada’s spine, and he rubbed his arms.
"Let’s start with an extreme example. Living beings act according to their desires. A lion would hunt a rabbit if it appeared before it, regardless of hunger. Humans are the same. So, 'Why don’t people commit crimes?' …What do you think?"
"If someone killed every person they passed on the street, they’d just be a lunatic."
"That's not an answer."
"Well, normal people wouldn’t do that. Even if we’re animals, humans are different from beasts."
"Exactly. Simply put, 'People don’t commit crimes because they possess social or psychological self-control.' …Of course, it also depends on their living environment, so it’s not a theory that applies to everyone. For instance, someone like Genocide Jack."
Crossing his legs, Celeste took a breath and said,
"There is a theory called the 'social bond theory' that considers the reasons why humans don't commit crimes."
"Huh?"
Once again, the conversation entered a more specialized field, making Oowada raise his voice in irritation.
"What about it?"
"This theory considers four main aspects as 'bonds,' and when these bonds break, crimes occur."
"So?"
"First, the first one."
Pointing a natural, though unusually long nail at Oowada, he stopped him from interrupting. The sudden action made Oowada freeze, his cheek twitching.
"First, there’s belief… essentially a sense of morality. This bond ties into the psychological aspect I mentioned earlier. In that environment, 'murder was deemed acceptable.' Thus, the feeling that 'murder is absolutely wrong' diminished, whether consciously or unconsciously
."
The finger pointed at Oowada increased to two. Moreover, the finger, which had been aimed at his nose, was now directed straight at his eyes, as if ready to poke them.
"Next, the second. Involvement. In other words... let's see. If there was something to be absorbed in, especially something healthy like sports. In that case, there would be no time to commit crimes. In that space, with few given entertainments and plenty of time to kill each day, who knows when someone might plot something wicked?"
"...You mean yourself."
"There's no guarantee that someone like me wasn't there after I died. Now, the third. Commitment. Risk and reward, let's say. Is it worth committing a crime even at the cost of everything one has built? Rationally thinking, it may be worthless, but in that space, in that situation, it was the ultimate reward. There's no need to explain what that is."
Moving away from Oowada, he leaned back against the uncomfortable chair, slightly waving the three fingers beside his cheek.
"...Graduation, huh."
"Yes. There was a bonus for me, but let's leave that aside. Now, the fourth. This is the main point."
Holding up four fingers in front of his face, Celeste's expression became somber.
"Attachment. It’s about family, friends, and companions. Surrounded by people who act morally, one wouldn’t commit crimes. They wouldn’t. That is, if 'the people in that space were such close individuals.'"
A gulp sounded from Oowada’s throat. His sharp eyes widened.
"...There wouldn’t have been any killing?"
"I can’t say for certain. But if it were me..."
Breathing out faintly, Celeste shook his head gently. Oowada, sharing similar sentiments, lowered his eyes.
By now, talking about "what ifs" and "if onlys" wouldn't grant them forgiveness.
"...Hey, our memories were erased to make the killing game more likely. We understand that, but..."
"...Let's add one more thing. 'What if, after committing murder, we regained our memories?'... What would happen?"
"!"
That was their current situation exactly.
"Impossible, right? Even if Junko Enoshima had planned that far ahead… I don't remember anything like so from 'that world.' There's no way that bitch could control reincarnation or anything so godlike."
"...In other words."
"In other words, this situation is an 'unforeseen despair' even for Enoshima. Realizing the person you killed was a close friend, a dear classmate, a loved one… is a despair beyond imagining."
Celeste suddenly leaned closer to Oowada, their faces inches apart, his crimson irises intense. Overwhelmed by the pressure, Oowada didn't move, captivated, listening intently to his alto voice.
"The person they killed... was someone they had spent two years with, a dear classmate, a friend with whom they laughed together, someone they had feelings for. Isn't that despairing?"
Oowada swallowed loudly.
"...I understand why you're here."
After staring at each other from such a close distance, Celeste slowly moved away and looked down at the seated Oowada.
"It's about Kuwata-kun, isn't it?"

So I realized I have food noise. All day every day all I think about is food. But when I try to do CICO or restrict to shed a bit of weight, I put on that and more. As my weight goes up, I feel like this hunger monster. I never feel satiated and I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s like all this food is going into a black hole. And yes I eat protein, fats, and try to keep carbs at or below 100 grams a day when I can help it. Usually my carbs will come from the fiber tortillas, keto bread, beans, legumes, rice, fruit, and vegetables. For example, today I had an egg white and avocado wrap with cheese for breakfast and then a chicken and lettuce wrap for lunch with an apple. I STILL feel hungry and am already at 1000 calories for the day. I don’t seem to lose weight unless I’m below 1200 calories a day.
I’ve restarted taking myoinositol regularly, but it doesn’t seem to be working just yet. I take one scoop of the wholesome story 40:1 ratio. My gynecologist prescribed 500 mg metformin, but I honestly think I would benefit from double that dose or 1500-2000 mg max dose. How do I ask my gynecologist to see if an increase would help me? I wish I could give semaglutide a try, but my insurance says it’s thousands and I wouldn’t be eligible for coverage 😔.
I’ll add: was diagnosed with prediabetes (5.9) 6 months ago. I had horrible health issues and was constantly throwing up so went to another doctor who retested my A1c last month and it’s below the prediabetes range (5.5). I know the insulin resistance is probably not gone since I’ve had signs of it since before puberty and am now a grown adult. I wish semaglutide was covered by insurance for pcos.

Mcqs were relatively fine in my opinion but oh boy…the essays were not great at all.
On the synthesis, it was about food trucks and what important factors cities should consider when regulating them. I did not understand this prompt at all like what… Like was it about the pros or cons they should consider or like if they should consider like to change the regulations or remove some regulations or something (1 of my reasons).
Then on the RA, Simu Liu who? Why do we have a story of someone preparing to emigrate from China to Canada like idk. Anyways to be fair, I think mine was ok on that. Just that the prompt was weird and trash. But I used tone and analogies (idk if those work, someone tell me)
Then for the last one, oh boy this was definitely my worse essay ever. Legit did not understand the prompt and I only had like 20 minutes left and I could not think of anything. Like can someone please explain to me wtf this prompt was asking and some examples?
Anyways, in conclusion, I think I got like a 3 to be honest, and I tried my best, wish I had the other prompts on like selfies or whatever. But all I am grateful for is that, I got it over with.