Hi, everyone! I am a 20 year old female. Currently in my 2nd year studying law, but to be honest I don't think this is for me. I am lost. I don't know what I want to do in life, or better yet, I don't know what to do with my life. I know I want to travel and have a good job that is not making me dread every morning I wake up and make me feel unhappy, but I also need that job to be a well-payed job, because I have this constant fear of not having enough money and always panicking about that. I, also, have a huge phobia of not being satisfied and liking my life and dreading every morning I wake up.
I am thinking about quitting law and doing something else, but I don't know what and I don't want to turn out a quitter. And my parents are so proud of me, I don't want to dissapoint them.. It was a dream of mine to go study abroad (idk what) but that is just not possible. It's a dream to go to uni in USA, the campus life seems so exciting and fun, which is not a case in my country. Is it really like the media depicts it to be?
I used to be interested in everything when I was younger and I didn't spend any time on thinking about my future and what uni I would go to. I was a kid who rather played outside than study for school. I was lucky my parents weren't strict so I wasn't under pressure to have excellent grades, but to be honest, now, I wish they have been stricter. As a kid I wanted to be everything. From a ballerina to a doctor (this was when I was a bit older, say 6 years old, as a little kid I wanted to be a fairy-mermaid princess....). As I got older I wanted to join the army, and that was something I wanted for a long time, but I have some health issues (nothing serious or life threatening) that make joining the army impossible, plus, I'd, like, die after running for 1 minute. I am in no shape for that...lol
It has been a couple of years since I last had an interest in anything. Everything is just so dull and uninteresting and I'm just mostly spending my time worrying about everything, wheather it be uni, my friendships, my parents and sibling, etc. Mostly what I'm worrying and majorly panicking about is life and uni. I literally have no idea what to do, it's making me cry myself to sleep almost every night. It has been so long since I was last interested in something. I just have no energy for anything anymore.
I'm that kinda person that just keeps it all in, so I haven't told anyone how I feel and even when I do get the courage to say something people tell me that I'm overreacting and then I just start crying (not in front of people ofc, at night, in my room, when no one can hear me or see me), because what if I am?? Or they tell me ''just relax''. God, don't i love hearing that. I'm just so scared of not knowing. When I think about the future I get sick, it literally makes me feel like I'll throw up.
I don't really have anyone to ask for advice. My parents didn't go to uni, I am eldest kid and am also an introvert that has (and I'm not even joking) 3 friends. I don't want to bother anyone with my problems because everyone has their own and it's easier to ask strangers on the internet who don't know me.
I just need some advice...thank you <3
(sorry for grammar mistakes, english is not my first language)

So I’m 20 M and I’ve been out for like 5 or 6 years now and since I’ve been out I’ve always felt although my dad says he’s fine with it he’s not telling the truth because whenever we talk about anything new like new movies or shows if there is a gay, lesbian or trans character he always has a list of jokes he likes to make then blames them for ruining the character or the film/show even tho it’s obvious it’s just bad writing. He’s always commenting on how gay people dress like saying it’s wrong that men will wear feminine clothes or wear makeup but then always says that he don’t care if someone is straight or gay or trans so I’m just confused if he really is coz I remember one time I was talking to my cousin his niece about going clubbing with her and he butts in and says I better be careful and take protection in case I get a girl pregnant coz for some reason he thinks that if I drink I will magically stop being gay till I’m sober. And another time we was talking about kids I was asked how I would go about having kids and I said either surrogacy or adoption and after I said that he turned to my younger siblings and said “are you going to give me real grandkids” and I’m gonna be honest it genuinely hurt when he said that like I felt something inside me just crumbled but I didn’t t say anything and assumed it was one of his stupid joke but it genuinely hurt. So I just wanna know what u all think cuz I’m just not sure at this point.

Greetings and Salutations! Just dropping the next few chapters below, these were fun to read :) Enjoy!
Ch. 11

• “What the hell happened to you?” LOL if Rhys becomes Lucien 2.0 I think I'll be ok with that
  
• Wait so if he wanted Rhys could just channel his power and go scorched earth??? How are there not any contingencies in place for that and everyone is just relying on his whim?
  
• Whoa so Feyre has been making some crazy progress with her shields if Rhys is blocked out 90% of the time…hooked on phonics with Rhys has really been paying off for her
  
• Eyyyyyy Feyre is reading a book! Look how far she's come
  
• Bro, why is Rhys always asking why Feyre doesn't insult him anymore? Is he into verbal BDSM or something? I guess being Amarantha's toy did a number on him. I bet this guy is a freak in the bed
  
• Oh damn so she has water bending skills too?! So wateice, fire, wind, psychic abilities…just needs earth and heart and she can finally become Captainess Planet
  
• Bro, Tamlin’s number one flaw is that he’s straight up not a good communicator. He thinks he can just scowl his way to victory with Feyre and Rhys, and they're not about that life
  
• I do feel kinda bad for Tammy, I bet he feels like he's getting cucked by Mr. Cavill (completely understandable as well)
  

Ch. 12

• NICE Feyre is just plowing through all the books in the library…WAY better hobby than being a lukewarm painter. That being said, I won't say no to a Bob Ross faerie to help Feyre improve her skills
  
• Dude Tammy is still shutting Feyre out?! This guy is completely oblivious to the fact that he's losing her slowly
  
• WTF is Feyre turning part crow now?
  
• “How long have the claws been appearing?” bro…nothing gets past Luke the Duke. NOTHING
  
• Dude…Lucien can really do no wrong, am I right? This MAN is advocating for Feyre left and right constantly to have her be trained cause he sees the bigger picture. Everyone's goal in life should be to find a friend that'll be in your corner the way Lucien is with Feyre. HAVE FEYRE BECOME THE AVATAR, YOU COWARDS
  
• Really. Tammy is still giving her short answers and no new info? How did that work out last time in the first book?
  
• I mean at this point just continue compromising? Just be a good girl and stay in the palace, then when you go to Rhysand's place go balls out and start training to be the avatar over there. You probably could even bargain and say give me one full month at the Night Court hyperbolic time chamber, I'll become a god, then the bargain is complete and everyone bows to me, HIGH LADY FEYRE
  
• I'm pretty sure Feyre is gonna learn Winnowing right? Then she'll be able to come and go as she pleases
  
• WTF is happening, is Feyre getting kidnapped?
  
• OH SHIT Alis coming in clutch!!! Are her and Mor pen pals or something?
  
• Back to the Night Court!
  

Ch. 13

• LMAO Rhysand is looking at Feyre rubbing his temples and thinking “I'm too old for this shit”
  
• She can control darkness too?! Please tell me she summons Charlie Murphy to the battlefield in a future book
  
• I mean, at the rate she's revealing her powers she's making Avatar Aang look like a baby back bitch
  
• Oh damn Feyre said it. She's not going back! I think comparing being trapped in the palace to being trapped under the mountain did it for her
  
• What's with the cloak and dagger shit with Rhys? Feyre can't mention anything to anyone about the Night Court? Interesting, I'm wondering if this court is suffering greatly from the Illyrians
  
• Noice Rhys treating her like an equal rather than property. Honestly, not a hard concept at all.
  
• Onward to Velaris, city of stars! Sounds dope
  
• Wait, Feyre took a bath and got ready in 10 minutes? I call bullshit
  
• LMAO Rhys said “that was 15 minutes.” I should just keep reading before commenting lol
  
• Hold on, Rhys has callused hands? From what? I can't imagine this guy doing any type of manual labor or holding a BF sword for fighting, this cat uses mind bullets. Is that even a turn on, having callused hands?
  
• So, they both arrive in a lived-in home that's inside a city…and that's shocking to Feyre…why?!? Does she expect city residents to just live in the sewers or something? This woman I swear…
  
• Oh wow that's the end of part 1! We're just moving right along aren't we
  

Ch. 14

• Oooh Part 2 The House of Wind?! Day Court maybe???
  
• Wut we’re in Rhysand's home? Like the one he grew up in???
  
• Oh shit Rhys has a family? I thought there was no one left except him and Mor
  
• I…have no idea what's going on right now lol. The twins live in Rhys's house, are they related to him? And two Illyrians are just banging on his door…can they come in?
  
• Ohhhh one of them is Cassian! Interesting
  
• Inner circle…like the circle of trust? How does one come to be a part of this?
  
• Hmm, so Rhys saved this entire city before he became High Lord…I need deets ASAP
  

Ch. 15

• So Velaris sounds like heaven on Prythian.
  
• “...his blue eyes were as ruthless as the churning winter sea in the distance.” Wait, I thought he has violet eyes?? Can he change their color??? *Sigh some Faes have all the luck
  
• This place really sounds like Kalm from FF VII Rebirth…gorgeous town
  
• Really want to know how Rhysand saved this city…I'm curious if they know he's the high lord and if he appreciates being treated like a normal citizen
  
• Oh God we're back to Feyre thinking about painting things again…
  
• Also, calm your tits Feyre?! You're getting mad at these people for something they weren't aware of
  
• “My people are blameless.” TRUTH, Rhys
  
• Ooooh a new character has appeared! 2nd in command Amren! Steal her shit and she'll roast your balls off
  
• Wow Rhys is the most powerful high lord in history….good to get confirmation on this, I felt it was always hinted at so far
  
• What a weird time to warg into Rhysand lol, guess she can't control this ability
  
• I was just thinking…if Feyre’s real kinky or doesn't have this ability down yet once she and Rhys bang they can warg into each other's bodies and see them screwing themselves and really start having some crazy sex sessions
  
• Oh interesting, so psychic Faes are called Daemati. As in, ‘Daemati’ invade your mind, or ‘Daemati’ not LOLOL. I'm keeping that dad joke
  
• “...or maybe I had broken it, when I shoved that dagger into the hearts of two innocent fae and their blood warmed my hands.” Don't you DARE forget what you did to the Beddors, Feyre! Remember Clare!!!!
  
• Bro, Rhysand is going to carry Feyre as he flies in with his wings LOL. What a sight that would be
  
• What do those wings look like by the way? I know we've gotten tiny glimpses and hints..like black, bat wings. And I'm assuming wing span size ABSOLUTELY matters *wink wink
  
• Ooooh what a cool flying scene; all this needs is “A whole new world” playing in the background.
  
• Aw sad day, Rhys loved his mommy :/
  
• “Each chair fashioned, I noted, to accommodate wings.” What does that even look like? No backs to the chairs, or the backs are shorter so the wings can rest over the back when they sit? I gotta know this for my immersion!
  
• Cute little penny for your thoughts scene between Rhys and Feyre…she's completely out of the woods with Tammy now.
  
• Let the Illyrian Dinner Feast begin!
  

Lots of fun developments in these chapters! Excited to read on and see how the feast goes. Thanks for reading!

Welcome to Poetry Corner

Welcome to May!
We have entered the May flowers portion of spring. There certainly is a lot of pollen, but also a lot of rain where I am—Maryland is bouncing between hot and frigid, and I would say it needs to make up its mind, but…. We all know it won't.
However, I have made up my mind about this month's theme! And Im excited to get to it.
I had a suggestion a few weeks ago to include some sources for crit – I don’t have them ready now, but I will get some stuff together for you guys soon, I swear. I am always open to suggestions <3
Let’s face it: poetry is a strange land for many of us. What makes a poem? Does it have to rhyme? Follow a structure and meter? Does it have to be based in emotion? All these are great questions. Poetry comes in all forms and styles, rhyming and non-rhyming, metered and freeform. Some poems even tell a fictional story, like prose does! Some poems don't use any line breaks at all, and Prose-Poems can be tricky yet effective. I'll give you a nudge here to look into them and maybe try them out. Who knows, maybe a constraint is coming our way.
Each month, I provide you with a simple theme and an additional constraint to inspire you. You have 60 - 350 words to write a poem based on that theme. Poetry is often shorter than prose, so word choice is important. Less words mean each word does more. Be sure to read the entire post before submitting!  

This Month’s Challenge

Theme: Gravity IP MP Bonus Constraints:

• Lean into horror, either thematically or narratively.

Gravity, honestly, should be easy. The hardest part might be picking one direction over another.
The gravity of the earth? The gravity of your emotions? The pull of the deep ocean or the urge to explore the stars?
Its really up to you!
Need some help with some horror-themed poems? I got you! An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead.
I am encouraging the poets this week to stretch that definition of dead as well, especially since we did just do death last month! Examples:
Déjà Rêvé. BY Avra Margariti
Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember, you can interpret the theme any way you like as long as the connection is clear and you follow all sub and post rules. Don’t forget to leave feedback on at least one other poem by the deadline (it is a requirement)!

Schedule

• Submission deadline: Wednesday, May 1st, at 11:59pm EST
• Feedback & Nomination deadline: Tuesday, May 21st at 11:59pm EST
• Campfire: None scheduled for May. Please leave comments on the post. Check out previous Poetry Corners here!
  

  How To Participate

• Submit a 60 - 350 word poem inspired by the theme as a top-level comment below. You have until next Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. EST. Please note that for this particular feature, poems must be at least 60 words. Low-effort poems will be removed. No pre-written content.
  
• Use wordcounter.net to check your word count. The title is not counted in your final word count. Poems under 60 words or over 350 will be disqualified.
  
• Leave actionable feedback on at least one other poem Each critique is worth up to 10 points, up to 50 points. I really encourage trying, even if you are new to poetry!
  
• Nominate your favorite poems from the thread using this form (it will open after the submission deadline). You get points just for voting!
  
• Please be respectful and civil in all feedback and discussion. We welcome writers of all skill levels and experience here, as we’re all here to improve and sharpen our skills. Uncivil or discouraging comments will not be tolerated and may result in further mod actions.
  
• Be creative and have fun! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them on the stickied comment on this thread or via modmail. Top-level comments are reserved for poem submissions.
  

Point Breakdown

TASK	POINTS	ADDITIONAL NOTES
Use of the Weekly Theme	up to 50 pts	Theme should be present, but the interpretation is up to you!
Use of Bonus Constraint	10 pts	(unless otherwise noted)
Actionable Feedback	up to 10 pts each	1 crit required; you’re welcome to provide more crit, but pts are capped at 50
Nominations your poem receives	20 pts each	No cap
Mod Choice	20 - 50 pts	First- 50 pts, Second- 40 pts, Third- 30 pts, plus regular noms
Voting for others	10 pts	Don’t forget to vote by the deadline!

 
Note: *Actionable feedback should be constructive, something that the author can use to improve. Feedback can also be positive, like what you enjoyed, how it made you feel, parts that flowed particularly well, images that stood out, etc.

Rankings for Echoes

Winners:

• First place by u/Lothli
• Second place by u/SaltedCaramelJedi
• Honorable Mention: by u/Tomorrow_Is_Today1

Subreddit News

• Join our Discord to chat with other authors and prompters! We hold several weekly Campfires, monthly World-Building interviews, and several other fun events!
• We are currently looking for moderators! Apply to be a moderator at any time.
• Nominate your favorite WP authors for Spotlight and Hall of Fame!
• Experiment with fun tropes and genres on the new Fun Trope Friday!
• Serialize your story with Serial Sunday or test your micro-fic skills with Micro Monday on ShortStories! ***

(These are notes I've sent to my friends during class) me (16f) ex (16m)
context: the way i would "tell him" that i like him is through a note that i wrote to him but havent gave him yet

1

recently, in class, he's been like super close to me, also the fact that I insult him like everyday and he doesn't care AND I was doing a BuzzFeed quiz and he was standing like right behind me and put his arm over me to answer questions (ABOUT ME) also my dad is obsessed w/ him (he has the pic of us from hoco on his nightstand AND his office at work) but his mom also LOVES me... AND from what i heard from his friends, I'm the ONLY girl he's treated right.
ex: the 1st girl he was with, he always bullied her, then me nothing bad happened, then he was dating this 21yo and he like emotionally and mentally abused her, and the girl after that, he was just an a hole to her.

2

so in class yesterday, I was talkin' 'bout how I think guys w' curly hair are attractive. But I only told this to 3 of my friends who don't even talk to my ex/anyone else in the class abt him. then later, ex#2 and my opp had asked what my opinion on guys with curly hair (mind you I was tired @ the time), I said that I liked curly hair, then they're like "Oh [ex's name], [old crush(oc)] you guys have curly hair"... anyways later I was talkin' 'bout how I was on my 3rd cup of grapes and ex#2 was like, "oh, [oc] don't you have a grape farm @ your house?" like wtff :( oh yea but then when I was talkin' bout how I like guys w/ curly hair earlier, my opp had asked my ex what he thinks his hair txter is, and OBVIOSLY he said curly... like istg i hate her.

3

okay, so @ auditions, when 2 ppl were singing, i was sitting down waiting my turn. anyways the WHOLE time, my ex (whom i like) was looking @ me!! and ltr, i had asked him to put my things in my bag, (ik he could've just been being nice but still). oh yea and then I was making fun of one of the ppl there and pulled my friends aside and my ex had asked what i was talkin' bout and so when i told him, i pulled him into a small secluded room w/o windows. then when i was omw to work, he kept asking me if i had my driver's license... like shut up bro (jkjk)
(this isnt a note, this just happened yesterday)
so basically, i was joking around w/ my friend abt since i dont have to do anything if i could shake some ass AS A JOKE and my ex (whom again, i wasnt talking to) was like "yea you can shake some ass" like huh!? oh yea and i forgot to mention, b4 auditions, i was talking to my friend and she had said (SUPER LOUDLY BTW) "yea and [ex] can fuck you too" (AS A JOKE (hopefully...)) and I freaked out and asked [ex] if he heard anything and when he said nah, i made him pinky promise, but he wrapped his whole ass finger around me and i didnt even bend mine. also we kept talkin and he noticed the choker i wear frm my friend and he had asked, "Is that what I think it is?" with like a kinda seductive tone... so yea :)
and 2day, i had asked him where our mutual friend was and he's like "idk. why?" like bruh we finna talk about YOU!! i just replied w/ "nothing, i just need to know where he's at" so... yea also earlier this year too, the friend i was talking to bout shaking ass said that she could see A LOT of chemistry between me n him.
i rlly hope this made sense... lol

Where to begin…
I guess it started six years ago, after my brother-in-law passed away at 23 years old because of cancer. I grew up Mormon and actively go to church every Sunday. I have a position that is seen as “high up” in the church. After my brother-in-law passed away, I had an existential crisis that I’m still battling today.
Fast-forward a year, I go on a diving trip to Belize and I tried my first drink then. I got blasted that trip for the first time. I hate the taste, but I love how it made me feel. I guess that’s when it all started. My wife doesn’t like that I do it. Last year for our anniversary, I promised that I wouldn’t drink for a year. I made it a whole year. And then it came back harder than when I left it. I don’t let my kids know that I drink. Recently, I am going through 1.75 mL of 35% and 750 mL of 40% in about a week. I get home from work, then I go to the closet and I take 8-12 gulps straight from the bottle.
My wife feels alone. For work, we moved across the country away from family. Nobody really knows about my drinking. She does a good job at keeping things to herself and not sharing with others. But I guess that’s where she struggles. I’m embarrassed and I’m afraid of going to Alcoholics Anonymous in case I see somebody there who knows me. So I turned to this group, wanting to talk and share my experience here.
Today is day one of no drinking. The problem I guess is, I don’t think I have a problem. I can stop when I want. However, the feeling I get when I come home from work makes all my problems go away. I feel like I am more patient with my kids and am more involved. I don’t know what to do. I’ve lost the trust of my wife, and I know that what I say means nothing now and that I have to start building back the trust.
Actions speak louder than words.
Here is to day one.

How can I best support her? I feel like I can’t be around her without crying. She’s been a fighter and has had the best attitude, even jokes about the situation. Hasn’t responded to chemo in a couple years. But things have taken a turn for the worse lately. She had the option of a surgery with a very low survival rate or a medication (which I think is experimental) and chose the medication. Now this medication she is on has tanked her mood and to top it off the tumor is growing faster than it is shrinking. We have plans to hang out on Friday which she seems excited for at least. How can I make this not weird? Should I try to get all my crying out before then? I want to be strong for her but I also don’t want to act like nothing is wrong and or I don’t care. Yet I feel like I’ve been doing the latter because while I have been busy with a new house I think I’m subconsciously avoiding the situation because it’s just getting bad and she’s also the type to keep things lighthearted so I try to do that for her too. She has lost at least one family member to the same cancer. I’m worried it’s going to take her too. How do I best show up for her?

So way back when i was a kid in 2012, i was having a very great birthday (i was turning 11 years old) And when it was time to open my presents, i was a little confused because there was this random game called “Call Of Duty Black Ops II) I didn’t know what the FUCK a Call of Duty was, i didn’t know if my parents were asking me to go to WAR or something. But since i got my new Xbox 360 a while ago, i decided to play this game for a while to see how good it is, and HOOOLY SHIT, still one of the most fun games i’ve ever played in my life. Within a few weeks i quickly got addicted to this game and got my whole friend group to friend me on Xbox and just join up and play. It was the best fucking game ever, i remember the cool zombie mode, playing on Nuketown, my friends blasting new music and joking around, the lobbies getting insanely heated, all the cool trick shots we would watch on YouTube, it was the best and funniest shit ever. That game is literally the goat of shooting games, back then when we didn’t have stupid Overwatch shit. Fast forward to 2017 and i had just gotten my Xbox One. This random game on YouTube was trending and it was called Fortnite. I didn’t understand what the hell the point was and i thought i was too old for the game because it looked weirdly cartoony, but i still gave it a try because i thought i could relive memories from the Xbox 360. So i grabbed some of my friends and played the game for the first time and HOOOLLY SHITT it was amazing. I remember when the double pump first got popular, the dance moves like the floss, and trick shots were finally back on YouTube. New battle passes and skins would come out, new weapons, and new locations and glitches which would make everybody flip out. The lobbies were not as heated as Call of Duty were, but they were still funny and i remember trolling videos on Fortnite being on YouTube. And best of all? The game was FREE, no money spent to get better or anything. It was like living in 2012 again, i miss waking up everyday during Summer and hopping on with my friends on some Fortnite. I actually was good at the game too, i remember doing Boxfigjts with my friends when Creative was being released too. I even remember doing it with random people also. When i would win they would get so mad and i would record it and show it to my friends, i even made a YouTube channel out of it that got like 500 subscribers, which was pretty fucking cool.
Fast forward to now, and i’ve just gotten a Nintendo Switch OLED to experience some games, and i was looking for some multiplayer shooter games that could make me nostalgic for playing both of those games, and i found this random game called “Splatoon” What the fuck is this??? No, seriously, what is this? Why are they octopuses? Octopuses in a shooter game make no sense, i thought they were supposed to be real people. Apparently you can phase through walls if you turn into an actual octopus, which i guess makes the people in the games half humans, half kids, so i’ll give them that. But why would you want to teleport through walls? This isn’t Portal, and i’m pretty sure they had that in one of the Fortnite seasons too, but that season came out after the games came out, so again i will give them that. And why are they fighting with PAINT?? Does. the paint hurt the kids or something? Is it their kryptonite? What’s the single player campaign like? Is there a civil war? How does the American Navy fit into this shit? Are they in the Cold War? What countries are involved in this shit? America? China? Russia? North Korea? Not only that, but what about Multiplayer? Can you get into boxfights? What’s this games version of a victory royale? Can you hit the gwiddy once you kill some me? I guess with paint. I’m pretty sure you can’t do online voice chat anywhere on Nintendo Switch. Which is a shame, but what about trickshotting? Is there any clans? Do FaZe Clan play this game? I remember them playing Fortnite way back. How do you get skins and characters in this game? Is there Battle Passes? Events? I’m just assuming you get them in the singleplayer campaign. How does this compare to Call of Duty? I might get some friends and hop on this game, trying to relive some memories. But i just wanted to know some stuff before i decided. Thanks random sub.

I'm about to move so I'm parting with my record collection! Most if not all of these prices are the lowest you can find on Discogs so prices are pretty firm.
+$6 Media Mail Shipping for Unlimited Records (Shipping from Seattle, WA)
ask about shipping prices for outside CONUS!
PAYPAL G&S PREFERRED!
Everything is OPENED (Comes With Outer Sleeve)! VG+/VG+
Feel free to ask for photos, hype stickers, or general record condition!
⭐️: Hard to Find or (Rare) i.e. Not Readily Available for Retail Today
Sorted by Artist in alphabetical order!

• $24 100 Gecs — 1000 Gecs (Black Vinyl)
• $22 100 Gecs — 1000 Gecs and The Tree of Clues (Ghostly Green RSD Vinyl)
• $20 Adrianne Lenker — Hours Were The Birds (Black Vinyl)
• $40 ⭐️ Adrianne Lenker — Abysskiss (Gray in Clear Vinyl)
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• $20 Adult Mom — Momentary Lapse of Happily (Red Vinyl)
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• $16 Kero Kero Bonito — Bonito Generation (Standard Blue Vinyl)
• $60 ⭐️ Kero Kero Bonito — Time 'N' Place (Early Bird Multicolor Pink Vinyl)
• $16 Kero Kero Bonito — Civilization (Early Bird Gold Vinyl)
• $33 ⭐️ Kilo Kish — Reflections in Real Time (VMP Smoke Vinyl)
• $16 Minari (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Black Vinyl)
• $13 Mitski — Puberty 2 (Black Vinyl)
• $13 Mitski — Be The Cowboy (Black Vinyl)
• $14 Mitski — Laurel Hell (Gray in Cloudy Clear Vinyl)
• $22 Mom Jeans — Best Buds (Green Swirly Vinyl)
• $40 ⭐️ Moses Sumney — græ (Black/White/Gray Vinyl)
• $15 Nilüfer Yanya — Miss Universe (Clear Vinyl)
• $12 Nilüfer Yanya — Painless (Urban Outfitters Cloudy Clear Vinyl)
• $12 Noso — Stay Proud Of Me (Standard Blue Vinyl)
• $13 Phoebe Bridgers — Stranger In The Alps (Black Vinyl)
• $13 Phoebe Bridgers — Copycat Killer EP (Mountain Blast Green Vinyl)
• $50 ⭐️ Rainbow Kitten Surprise — How To: Friend, Love, Freefall (Indie Purple Vinyl)
• $40 ⭐️ Remi Wolf — Juno (Urban Outfitters Pink Vinyl)
• $13 Rina Sawayama — Hold The Girl (Lava Orange Vinyl)
• $22 SASAMI — Squeeze (Clear Vinyl)
• $13 Snail Mail — Lush (Black Vinyl)
• $10 Soccer Mommy — Sometimes, Forever (Urban Outfitters Purple Vinyl)
• $20 Spellling — The Turning Wheel (Baby Blue Vinyl)
• $15 SZA — CTRL (Standard Transparent Green Vinyl)
• $20 Trixie Mattel — The Pink and Blonde Albums (Urban Outfitters Pink/White Vinyl)
• $35 underscores — Wallsocket (D2C Milky Clear Vinyl)
• $45 Utada Hikaru — First Love (Import Black Vinyl)
• $35 Utada Hikaru — Fantôme (Import Black Vinyl)
• $60 ⭐️ Utada Hikaru — BAD MODE (Import Black Vinyl)
• $10 Waxahatchee — Ivy Trip (Black Vinyl)
• $10 Yola — Stand For Myself (Indie Pink Vinyl)
• $20 Yves Tumor — Heaven To A Tortured Mind (Black Vinyl)
• $20 Yves Tumor — Praise a Lord Who Chews ... (2xLP 45RPM Black Vinyl)

Couple early 40’s. 2 kids 13 and 1. 13 yo is a special kid. I will have a consolidated amount of just over 5 crores, once I settle properties in Australia. 2 apartments paid off in Bangalore. Simple lifestyle I have( wife a little ostentatious). Conversations of moving back have turned to arguments( we still love each other) I want to put all in NRE FD, SBI has said in can get around 3lakh a month for 2 years and once account converted to resident it’ll be taxed 15-20 %. I don’t want to touch the FD at all, just leave it in bank. I just intend to live off that + save about 10lakh a year and invest in mutual fund in SBI which manager said I’ll get 52k inr per month after 5 years for rest of life. Will this be enough? Most importantly how do I convince my wife, need really bullet proof advice and suggestions. No trolling or unsavoury comments pls 🙏

Hello everyone. Avid PC builder and gamer here. And boy do I have a weird one for you. I solved the problem before ever posting this. I am not looking for help. On the contrary. I'm hoping this helps someone else in the future.
Specs
ASUS 7690-A wifi D4
12900k
32GB of corsair vengeance rgb 3600
Gigabyte RTX 4090
Corsair hx1200i
On top of that there are 4 m.2 drives, 2 ssd drives, 2 mechanical drives, 16 corsair fans, 3 led controllers, 12 led strips, 3 commander pros, 2 water pumps, 3 reservoirs and 4 radiators (2x560 1x140 and 1x280)
Out of no where, when I press the power button, all of my million lights and fans turn on for around a tenth of a second and then the PC shuts back off. Just a quick flash and then nothing. i can press the button 2 or 3 times and the same thing happens. Occasionally after 5 or so tries it will turn on. Alternatively, i can unplug then replug the PC or flip the switch on the power supply off and then on. After this the PC starts immediately every time. At this point i can put 900 watts through it no problem. This all started about a week ago. Prior to that this was not a problem. Also, this ONLY happened on a cold boot. Once the PC was turned on successfully i could turn it on and off a dozen times without issue.
My first thought was bad cap. And my motherboard, an ASUS Z690-A wifi D4 has been full of gremlins since day 1 (and their customer support was so bad i never got to RMA it). So i figured the likelihood breakdown of the problem was like 40% power supply, 50% MoBo 8% RAM and 2% CPU.
After running some of the most basic troubleshooting including reseating all ram and then going down to 1 stick I eliminated most other possibilities. Which still left me with Power supply, MoBo and CPU as a possibility. My wife's PC has a 1k watt power supply so i WAS going to swap it with mine to see if the problem persisted, but the gremlin showed itself before that was necessary.
This brings us to the reason i wrote this
TPM
Thats right. TPM (PCC in asus bios i think).
I had to turn this on about a month or 2 ago because (reasons i can't remember) and just forgot about it. But during my troubleshooting I started to change bios settings back to default 1 by 1. When i turned off the TPM (pcc) the PC shut down on the spot. It had NEVER done that before. Then it would not start up again. I had to unplug the power supply and replug it in order to get the PC to start again. Then, it started up fine and has not shown the issue since.
The problem was pretty persistent but also somewhat intermittent so i am not 100% sure this problem is solved for good, but this was happening multiple times a day every day for a week and it has happened zero times in the past 5 days so I'm pretty hopeful. Prior to this I would never think to suggest turning off TPM when helping someone troubleshoot. I would guess a bad cap, resistor or solder joint on the TPM circuit but i thought TPM 2.0 was in the mobo chipset itself so im not sure if that holds water. It's just my internal brain logic.
Either way i hope this helps save SOMEONE from frustration or buying unnecessary parts. Or worse yet, dealing with ASUS customer support

Starting from 7, the only thing I care about
The way I perceive 7 in myself is that I'm unconsciously overweighing the odds of success a lot of the time. Say I have an idea and realistically there's a 30% chance it goes really well, 30% really badly, and 40% goes okay. My head fixates on the potential in it going really well which helps break down any barriers to doing the thing, and leads to greater odds for disappointment. It's not that I lack the awareness of things going poorly, it's that they seem less important to focus on. So I'm always acting as if my ideas will lead to a bit more of a charmed life than they actually do, which usually leads to better outcomes (via mobilization) but also to greater disappointment.
I can imagine positive outlook affecting similar things in other centers. It's not "la la la," but 2 is unconsciously overweighing their objective value, charm, and influence externally such that they don't need to focus on the internal content which cannot directly "reach" everyone, and 9 is usually overweighing the pleasure of doing things, the rewards from their interior world or their existing ability to lead a "good life" (usually one or the other.)
Bonus sexy 6s
Bonus: this also explains the general phobic 6w7 association vs. counterphobic 6w5 association despite stereotypical 7s being assertive Problem Causers and 5s being tucked out of the way. 6 in the land of 7 is extra prone to Feeling Good about How Things Will Go bc they are so smart, and fleeing when they don't. 6 in the land of 5 (Mad Eye Moody) is extra prone to being grumpy/nihilistic about things bc they are so smart and preparing in advance for that. Primed to flee vs. primed to fight. Ofc, this is a generalization—other things impact general phobic/counterphobic stance such as instincts and fixes.
Harmonic triads generally
Positive/competency/reactive are described as arising in response to "conflict." I see competency as "this has nothing to do with me as a person," reactive as "I've got you now" (identifying the personal issues in as much gory detail as possible,) and positive as being prone to identifying the way through the personal issues in glorious detail. Triple reactive feels brutal to me, triple competency androidish/impersonal/courteous. Triple positive feels well, diffuse, velvety, effusive, like a sunburst. Even when talking about how miserable everything is you sense in them an urge to turn tail and escape, and that that escape is close by—around the corner. Pozzies also seem more prone to "crashing" in response to problematic content when it can't be worked around, when it feels inescapable. In a person it tends to lead to a certain lightness and enthusiasm in the eyes/voice, like they're seeing the best way forward and want you to see it with them.
And subjugated head/reactive appears to lead to zeroing in ignoring the "options" of head center, subjugated heart/competency to lack of assessing the personal significance, subjugated gut/positive to being "all over the place"/not grounded in the self. The subjugated center is being "used" to support the main center while ignoring the subjugated strengths.

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[REQ] ($40) - (#Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada), (May 29), (Paypal/Pre-Arranged)

Post contents

So thanks anyway. My uncle came through in a big way. Wasn't expecting that, but I'm squared away.
Hey you guys. I really hate asking to borrow, especially from strangers, but I need a few things asap and hoping there's a kind soul out there. I'm on disabilities, and a little day job I had lined up fell through recently, leaving me screwed. All I got left is rice, and by tomorrow that'll be gone. Cats gonna need litter too within a couple days.
It's possible another side thing may come up before the payback date, but I won't promise early repayment, not after my experiences of things falling apart. I only remark that it's possible. I don't like being in debt, and try to clear it as soon as I can. So if things line up and I can repay earlier, I will. (Again I cannot promise early though.)
On the 29th my benefits come though, that's a sure thing; but that's still 2 weeks away. I'd have liked to ask for a little more, but realistically I can only pay back $40. It's tight, but I can for sure manage that, no worries.
I've posted a few threads about can collecting, which is a side means of earning income but I cannot do that right now, open wounds on hand. I hope this shows you my situation is as I say at least, if you have doubts.
https://www.reddit.com/homeless/comments/13nwqz2/3_weeks_ago_i_asked_for_tips_on_collecting_cans/
I have also created a successful charity drive on reddit once, in a way which nobody could be scammed. We raised over $2000 for various cat shelters and it all went directly where it was supposed to. I mean, I'm just posting this in hopes it adds to my credibility as someone who won't try to run a game. I don't know how I can otherwise assure you I'm on the level.
https://www.reddit.com/thefighterandthekid/comments/zpsmo0/jokes_aside_for_a_second_how_about_a_holiday/ https://www.reddit.com/thefighterandthekid/comments/zrl7pw/update_a_little_over_2000_raised_for_literal/
So yeah, just don't know what else to do here, hoping someone has a little to spare for now.

Hey guys, I’ve posted on here before, petty much just ranting about the shit that went/goes on in my life as an ugly adolescent, soon to be adult. How I get weird looks in public. How my entire school, even local area thinks I’m a joke. How I’m treated like someone with a low IQ mental disability. How people lie through their teeth about how I’m “not ugly.” It sucks so much.
For most everyone here, this is all in their head. For me, it’s real. With the way I currently look, I physically can’t exist like a normal person. Unlike most, I can’t turn off the “voices” in my head, as they are external as well. Any advice is welcome.

I was invited by a couple of friends to go camping a few days ago. I'm honestly still exactly not sure if any of it was real, but I wish to share my story nonetheless. It began last Monday, when friend number Six invited friends One through Five to a girls get away. She claims to have found this beautiful spot in the mountain on one of her hikes and she says it’s perfect for seeing the stars at night. I was skeptical at first, to be honest I don't really like being outdoors, but it sounded like an experience worth having, so I thought "why not, this will be a wonderful memory to look back on!". I had just purchased a new camera as well, so I was honestly starting to warm up to the idea. I could take pictures of our excursion into the woods and make cute little picture frames for everyone for their birthdays, it would've been so cute! But things did not go at all as I had envisioned.
So the day of the trip arrives, a bit faster than I would've liked, but honestly I think I was just anxious about… I kept feeling this weight in my chest that made it uncomfortable to breathe, but I was going into the woods, strange things happen to women in movies; Jason Voorhees, Sasquatch, Shia LaBeouf! Who knows what could happen! Not to mention there is always the chance I could fall into a lake and get covered in leeches, or get surrounded by wolves, or chased up a tree by a bear… Hopefully a very soft bear so I'll at least know one pleasure before I die! There are all sorts of fears I had envisioned before the day of the trip, but anxiety just be like that.
I met up with my friends at the trail and learned that friend Six decided to bring her bf along, which I was upset about but I guess he was just going to get a hotel room nearby so he'd be close enough to her to feasibly show up if we needed any help. She later told us that he worries all the time because his father went missing in these woods years ago and he's worried the same might happen to her. This is where I learned that men tend to stay out of those woods because men have been going missing in those woods for years, but according to friend Six, she's been coming to this forest for a while now and hasn't had any bad experiences. Hearing that did oddly put me at ease, but now all I could wonder at the time was what happened to all those poor men.
Deep into the night we're all chit chatting, talking about where we are in our lives, things that are bugging us, what our hopes are, and dancing to the music of nature… but which of course I mean we got shit drunk, smoked some great wee, talked about sex, laughed over silly anime scenes, and twerked to slipknot girly bops!. It was such a fun night at that point that I honestly wish I could go back and never let that night end. It was intoxicating how beautiful the sky looked, and when gazed up it was almost like we could scoop the stars into our hands and sip from the sea of stars. I was worried we'd just be on our phones all night filming tiktoks or something but even with no signal, no one really seemed to be too stressed about it, we all just kind of felt safe… Almost welcomed into the forest, like being embraced by a loving mother. But unfortunately, heaven isn't forever, and men come not but to steal, kill, and destroy.
As we were drinking we decided to tell some scary stories… or well I decided to because I thought "it's so cliché but we have to do it. It feels like tradition almost." plus I would've regretted it if we didn't do it, so fuck it, right? Right. So we go around telling scary stories to one another, and I mention to friend Six that I keep thinking about those poor men that went missing. I then asked if any women had gone missing, and surprisingly she said yes… it was way back in the 1800's but after that there had never been a single missing woman in that forest. The forest was actually named after the first young woman who went missing all those years back, and now there are all these rumors about it but I don't believe in that stuff so I didn't really pay much attention… I kept thinking "I'll just wait for the manga… or the shitty Hollywood cash grab of it…" but I DO vaguely remember the history cause I find dark history lore to be super fascinating. So there was a time when the area had more indigenous citizens living here, before gentrification moved into town. She went on to tell us that indigenous people eventually began to keep to themselves because as more white people moved in, more of their daughters went missing. There are yearly parades to honor the missing daughters and to spread awareness to those living in the town. The police try to shut it down but they still do it every year.
Not long after hearing that we hear something howl in the distance. Friend Three howls back and friend Five falls on her out of her camping chair laughing. I tell them to knock it off because the last thing we need is for her to accidentally attract a wolf during mating season! I don't know if that’s a thing, but it sounds like something that’s a thing… So I'm just going to assume that it is. Don't judge me. She then says "But what if it's Taylor Lautner? Or Joe Manganiello? Personally… I'm more of a Meatloaf guy myself… But you know… RIP… But Joe is pretty fine and my mom did always hope I'd marry a black man to get melanin back in our family… But I don't think a splash of melanin is gonna override this asian/african skin so… Anyways! So these guys come walking past our camp site, and we're all drunk and high so we're already all on edge upon seeing random men this deep into the forest, but friend Four gets up and says "who the fuck are you and what're you doing here!?" One of the men quickly apologizes and tells us they're actually out here camping as well. They said a friend of theirs found this waterfall in the forest that glows because it captures the moon's light. Friend Two hears this and asks if we can go with them, to which we all begrudgingly agree.
At the "mooncuzi" I like to call it, we all sit around this beautiful natural pool lit up by the moon, and we were worried it would be cold but I was surprisingly warm, if I had to guess I'd assume there's a magma vein under there or something? Idk, I'm not a geologist or volcanologist, but something kept it warm and it wasn't my tiny bladder! Everyone was really relaxed and the guys honestly seemed super cool, and guy One honestly seemed really nice. I call him guy One because he's number 1 to me, we're still together now, and we even have another partner now, so yay! We all began talking and some of us were hitting it off, clearly… but we had all been drinking and smoking more which, honestly we had stopped… but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to get cross-faded in a mooncuzi. Nuh. Nope. Not on my watch. But someone clearly didn't get the vibe memo, because friend Two screams out "bro what the fuck I said no!"
The next thing we hear is "You don't have to yell about it like some kind of cunt!" Everyone runs over to try and figure out what's going on. Turns out guy Five didn't like being told no. He and friend Two were playing a drinking game with friends Three and Four and guy Three and Four. We learned that guy Five dared friend Two to take her top off, to which she said politely refused, and the guys didn't seem to like that. They tried to convince her it's part of the game. One of the guys said she was already in her underwear anyway, so she might as well… My guy, One, and guy Two scolded their friends for their behavior, which is why guy Two and friend Two are married now… Guess nice guys don't finish last, huh? Anyways, They scolded their friends for their behavior, I remember my guy yelling "you never speak to a woman like that!" and "If I ever catch you trying to peer pressure a woman again I'll take your testicals in my hand and squeeze on them slowly until I know what it's like to feel one pop in my hand." and it was honestly the hottest thing I've ever heard a man say… a bit violent… but fuck was I glad I was in the water!
Guys One and Two apologized for their friends' actions the whole way back. I asked them why they remained friends with them and guy One had gone off to college while guy Two went into the service, so the two of them had been away for a few years, but they swore their friends never used to be like that. This was actually supposed to be a reunion hike of sorts since they both happened to come back around the same time. After meeting up with guys Three, Four, and Five though, they realized their friends had been warped by these podcasts about alphas and betas and maximizing your sigma or something, and tried to convince him to listen to some pickup artist that claimed to know the secret to unlocking the female brain. Also known as, stupid useless slop grifters make to get rich off young boys with zero confidence and zero bitches. Lastly, he tells me guy Three was actually raised by a single mother alongside his two sisters, so he really wouldn't expect that kind of behavior from him. Guy Four was always sort of sketchy but they thought he was "just being funny", men right? The only thing they felt was weird about him was this one time when they were teens his sister moved away and he got really quiet afterwards, but then he dated a few people that looked almost identical to her, but for some reason he didn't see it, so they started calling him "little sister" (or did they? oooo) or "Lil" for short, joking he had an undiagnosed sister complex… Ew. That’s all I’ll say to that. The last guy, Five, they said always seemed fine to them, they didn't elaborate, so idk what their idea of "fine" is, sorry to disappoint.
Not long after we got back to the camp we heard engines in the distance, and as they got closer and closer we all stared in confusion. No one should be riding vehicles out this way, and friend 6 knows her bf wouldn't come out here without alerting us.
The vehicles stopped after surrounding us with their lights pointing right at us. We heard the familiar voices of guy Three, along with 4 new voices. He whined about how we hyurt his widdle feefees or something obnoxious. I tried to listen but it's just so hard to listen to some overgrown pissbaby go on about their fragile ego. Guys One and Two went to confront guy Three and his posse, asking why they didn’t wait at the car. Guy Three told them they wouldn’t understand because they’ve given themselves over to feminist ideas and allowed themselves to become beta cucks. He told them that simps deserve to die so other men won’t be warped by feminist witch pussy magic like they have… Like we just met these guys and he’s already acting like we had sex… This man's logic was like a runaway train, the cars are all there but they ain’t making it to their destination. Guys One and Two continue to argue with guys Three, Four, and Five, before guys Six and seven come up behind them and put knives to their necks. At this moment I noticed a gleam in guy Three’s eyes. He now thinks he’s invincible… I can see the depravity in his eyes as he looks upon friend Two, stripping her down in his mind, imagining all the sick things he’ll do. And as if to validate my suspicions, he walks up to her and says “You never did complete that dare… How about we start a new game… But this time we won’t have any need for truths.” I watch as fear washes over Two’s face, as she begins to imagine what he is implying, almost as if his depraved thoughts were being projected into her mind, instilling suffering on her before he had even begun to touch her. She catches herself, refusing to give him the satisfaction of fear and spits in his face. She then tells him “you couldn’t even please your hand with a prick that small.” The look of anger on his face was honestly delectable. If I could, I would put it on canvas and call it “Portrait of a Scorned Man” or “Man who just realized being a dick doesn’t make yours bigger”. ANYWAYS, he then began to yell something about "it's up to real men to show women their place in society!" OOO so angwy! They started circling around us like starving wolves. One of them placed themselves against friend Five’s back and said "I always wondered if trans women looked different down there." Which angered friend Five, but not as much as it did friend Four who tends to be a bit of a hot head.
Friend Four may look like a pretty cute petite princess, but she's manlier than most men I know. She's a competitive marksman, as well as being a gymrat who likes to build cars on the weekends. She's also the girlfriend of friend Five, not that that’s important but I feel like it should be important. So anyways, she starts blasting right? And one of these guys yells "what the fuck they’ve got funs!? Who the fuck gave these stupid bitches guns!?" I then hear one of them try to antagonize her by saying "pretty young thang like you shouldn't be carrying such a big piece until she's used to it! AYO!" So she shot a round off at the tree he took shelter behind as if to mock him by letting him know his life is in her hands… She looked like a real boss bitch, like for real! That girl is HIM! She has always been him, she will always be him! While this was taking place, friend Six reached out to her boyfriend now that we could finally use the radio without fear of them taking it. We explained what was happening and asked him to bring help. He told us to tie the button down and to hide it from sight so that he could listen in while he headed to the station to get help. I feel so bad for that man, having to listen to all those screams, feeling completely powerless to do anything in the moment, but we’re so thankful to him for being there in the way that he was.
Gun fire kept ringing out as Four kept firing rounds into the forests yelling “I shoot to maim!” and “You’re not safe here!” hoping to scare the men enough to make them retreat because none of them seemed to have rifles on them… But then we hear it… The first scream… Everyone freezes in their tracks, their heart stilled by this sudden shriek of terror that seemed to only further race towards the all consuming darkness. The moment it stopped nothing remained but the slow encroaching crawl of raindrops and the rapid beating drums of the fear in our hearts. It's then that the rain came down like a closing curtain on the chapter of our innocence, because that’s when we heard the second scream, a scream just as chilling as the first, ascending high into the tree tops before we see something that shocks everyone to their core; the haunting image of a man’s face still screaming, a face still unaware its going to meet, a face that still hopes to be saved but never will. Within unison, as if hell had a chorus, we all screamed in silence as we turned to run. With no other means of safety, my friends, guys One and Two, as well as myself ran for the tent. We don't really know what happened after we got into the tent, but not a second went by that we didn't think we wouldn't be next. We know better now, but in that moment I felt both relief and fear for my life. I just kept thinking how lucky I was that I was fortunate enough to die with my dignity still intact… I kept thinking "at least those man babies didn't get to do whatever depravity they had in mind"
Well by now everyone knows what happened, it's been on the news. Those 3 guys and all of their cronies turned up missing… But what the news won't tell you is that we were saved by Mama Makwa, we call her that due to the sounds we heard, as well as the site we saw afterwards. The bellowing sound of vengeance that came in the form of a bear’s roar was as loud as the mean screaming they saw a 9 ft tall bear with skin dripping off of its bone like fur. We later learned that men referred to it as “Slippy Skin” aka "Wejuk", as it seemed the bear would change appearance depending on who gazed upon its visage, but this was not "Wejuk". One by one, we heard those men scream for their lives, describing a creature with a mouth made of human hands that had palms covered by teeth shaped like hypodermic needles. It had claws that seemed like stone daggers that were etched by native americans. They warned each other "Don't look into its eyes!" before proclaiming how sorry they were for the things they'd done… They complained of the putrid stench suffocating them as they were pulled into its gaping maw. They screamed of the creatures rotting viscous flesh melting into their own, and making their skin a part of it, as if their skins were fuel for the fear this best could instill by its mere dominion over them. But we never saw that creature… Instead, after the screams stopped, we were greeted by this beautiful creature that looked like a bear, only it had this glow about it, and its fur seemed almost like the softest of opalescent feathers. Its eyes looked just like the aurora borealis, and she was mesmerizing. We felt safe, and welcomed, and most of all protected… After everything that happened, I think we will be coming back, because we know Mama Makwa will be there to protect us. We believe Mama Makwa is an avenging spirit born from the fear those women felt, here to make sure no other women ever have to suffer like they did within this forest. We also now understand why those men all went missing. My boyfriend and friend Two's husband weren't attacked by Mama Makwa… Only the men who felt any sort of ill intent toward us women that night saw Mama Makwa in that form, the form they confused for Slippy… But knowing there is a safe haven for women out there, I'm thinking we will have another girls night next year, anybody wanna come?

Dear Poetry Fanciers,
Welcome back for a special Victorian edition of Poetry Corner, brought to you by u/NightAngelRogue and a splendid accompaniment for our upcoming read of The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage. Just a reminder, if there is a special poem you would like to feature in Poetry Corner, just send me a message and we'll get it the schedule!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Joke:
Q: Nelson Mandela, Tuberculosis and Long John Silver walk in a bar. Who are they talking about as they go in?
A: Probably William Ernest Henley (1849-1903).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Poet, journalist, literary critic, editor, publisher, translator and Victorian-extraordinaire, Henley, was a good friend to Robert Louis Stevenson, who he inspired to write the character "Long John Silver" in Treasure Island. Stevenson, writing to Henley-" I will now make a confession: It was the sight of your maimed strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver ... the idea of the maimed man, ruling and dreaded by the sound, was entirely taken from you". The friendship was a tumultuous and long one.
Henley's sickly daughter, Margaret, was the inspiration of "Wendy" in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. She would not live long past her 5th birthday, the only child Henley had with his wife, Hannah "Anna" Johnston Boyle. Tragedy had long painted his life even before this sad event. He was diagnosed with a rare form of tuberculosis at age 12, that affected his bones. His left leg had to be amputated below the knee when Henley was a young man, and he was often in the hospital with various abscesses that need to be drained. Frequent illness kept him out of school and interrupted his professional work. Henley eventually sought out the advice of Joseph Lister, who was pioneering new techniques, including antiseptic operating conditions and doing groundbreaking research on wounds, when his right foot become affected by the tuberculosis. Still, his ill-health did not keep him from practicing his art. While Lister kept him under observation at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, from 1873-75, Henly wrote and published a collection of poems, which include today's selection, In Hospital (1903). This collection of poems is notable also because it was one of the earliest examples of free verse in English poetry. Henley and others in his group became known as the "Henley Regatta" for their championing of realism, such as the poor working conditions in the Victorian underbelly, in opposition to the Decadent movement in France and the Aesthetic movement closer to home. This would be the last collection of poetry and the most impactful of his work; his death would follow later that year. Unfortunately, a fall from a carriage reawakened the latent tuberculosis hiding inside him, which carried him off age 53. He was buried next to his daughter, in Cockaney Hatley, Bedfordshire. His wife would later also be buried alongside her family.
His legacy is one that is both inspiring and rather dispiriting. His poetry was used for jingoistic and imperialist causes, and to champion war, though much of it was about personal striving and inner resolve-the mythical "Stiff Upper Lip" of the Victorian era. This led to push back in the literary world, as D.H. Lawrence's short story, "England, My England and Other Stories" took flight from one of the lines from "Pro Rege Nostro", which is more patriotic than his usual work. Admittedly, he counted himself as a conservative and supported the imperial effort, as much of Victorian society did at this time. Still, his work fell into obscurity, with the main exception of "Invictus"-Latin for "unconquered". It is well known that Nelson Mandela recited this poem to his fellow inmates in Robben Island as a reminder to stay strong and keep one's dignity. There are also, of course, the Invictus Games, which are held for injured and sick service men and women and veterans in the UK.
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Winston Churchill to the House of Commons, September 9, 1941:
"“The mood of Britain is wisely and rightly averse from every form of shallow or premature exultation. This is no time for boasts or glowing prophecies, but there is this—a year ago our position looked forlorn, and well nigh desperate, to all eyes but our own. Today we may say aloud before an awe-struck world, ‘We are still masters of our fate. We still are captain of our souls.'” (link)
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Sidney Low, in "Some Memories and Impressions – William Ernest Henley". The Living Age (1897–1941) describing his friend:
"... to me he was the startling image of Pan come to Earth and clothed—the great god Pan...with halting foot and flaming shaggy hair, and arms and shoulders huge and threatening, like those of some Faun or Satyr of the ancient woods, and the brow and eyes of the Olympians." (link)
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Andrzej Diniejko on Henley as "poet as a patient" and his work predating modern forms of poetry "not only in form, as experiments in free verse containing abrasive narrative shifts and internal monologue, but also in subject matter". (link)
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"Invictus"
by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
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This poem is in the public domain.
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Some things to discuss might be the title. How does the defiant spirit of this "Unconquered" opening play throughout the lines of the poem? There is also a reference to the Bible Verse Matthew 7:14 in the poem, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it". Why do you think this included? What lines stand out to you? How do you see him fit into the Victorian literary furniture, if you will? Have you heard this poem before? How does this fit in with the melancholy feel of the Bonus Poem, if you read it? What other poets do you enjoy from this era of literature?
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Bonus Poem: We'll Go No More a-Roving
Bonus Link #1: "Love Blows As the Wind Blows" (1911) song-cycle by George Butterworth, with Henley's poetry put to music and song.
Bonus Link #2: A literary review of the Victorian Era.
Bonus Link #3: Read the other poems included in the collection, In Hospital.
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If you missed last's month poem, you can find it here.

Sorry in advance for the lengthy post I F(40) have 1 child F(11) with my ex M(40). we split almost 2 years ago and it was not amicable. Since the split he has been seeing our child regularly (not set days). Our agreement has been he wants to see her then he can. the only times I have said no is when we have other plans January of this year while he had our child with him he called me to say she was having a 'meltdown' in the middle of a shop and saying she wanted to harm herself. now our child has struggled the last year, the split of her parents along with going through puberty at a young age has added to her struggling with emotions. she is speaking to someone about this and has hurt herself in the past. on this day she wanted to come home and her dad wanted to try and help her and we agreed if she was still upset in an hour he would bring her home. she ended up staying for the full visitation. when she came home that day we talked about what happened and she told me she didn't want to see her dad for a while. I asked why and she told me he shouts at her when she doesn't want to do something and calls her ungrateful and also keeps saying to her 'don't turn out like them' referring to me and my 2 older children (not biologically his but he helped raise for 14 years but has no relationship with now). I chose to not address it as her parents arguing is one of the things our child is worried about. after talking with her about her hurting herself we agreed that we would try a new technique that if she ever felt her emotions were overwhelming her to the point she felt like hurting herself she would ask me for help which has been working well for the past 5 months. so skip forward to last month. after not seeing her dad for almost 3 months she decided she wanted to see him again. he came to get her and the visits have been fine.. then today he came to get her after school they left. 3 hours later I get a text saying dad is shouting at me I want to come home. I ask what happened she tells me he is saying she's being moody like her mum and she shouldn’t want to be like us. again this is a trigger for her (he knows this) I immediately go to get her. he calls me ranting at me that I am enabling bad behaviour and I should not be running to get her because she wants to come home. I told him at no point am I ever going to tell my child that I wont come to get her when she's upset his response was to tell me he had spent money to see her and what about him? as you can imagine this did not go down well. I ended the call and walked into the venue to get my child. i told her to say goodbye to her dad she turned to hug him and he refused telling her not to bother. so we left. he followed shouting at me calling me names the usual stuff, then shouting that our daughter was ungrateful and numerous other things to the point a stranger intervened asking if we were ok. I said yes and just got us away from the situation. now WIBTA for refusing further visitation.

I have a weird and frustrating experience with T-Mobile recently. A couple days ago, I got a text from T-Mobile saying 2 new lines were added to my account along with a discount. But here's the thing, I didn't do any of that.
So I call customer service, and it turns out some random person went into a T-Mobile store and added 2 brand new iPhone 15 Pros to my account on an installment plan. The part I don't understand? The store didn't ask for ANY identification or even a signature from this person.
When I asked what info the person might have had about me to pull this off, T-Mobile said they didn't know. They didn't have any ID's or even provide a signature. But seriously, how does someone just walk in and hijack an account like that?
Has this happened to anyone else here? Your account just getting compromised out of nowhere? I'm honestly baffled how my info got out there or if it's even leaked, and T-Mobile's security seems like a joke if people can add new expensive devices without any authorization or identification.
I'm currently going through the process of removing these lines and going through their fraud department.

I'm only half-joking, is there something like Al-Anon but for the family/SOs of aspiring writers? Figured if there is such a support group, someone here might know!
My SO is an aspiring screenwriter, and they're genuinely very talented (solid Black List scores, secured legitimate representation, works in a writers' room), but given their relatively recent entry into the industry and the fact that they haven't truly sold anything yet means that they deal with a lot of Imposter Syndrome. This extends into paralysis with their spec work sometimes – constantly second-guessing themself to the point of severe anxiety, even panic – and is compounded by the abysmal state of the market at this point in time. They want this career to work out more than anything, and sometimes I worry it's taking years off their life, but they're making the right moves and I'm genuinely proud of them and want to be helpful.
That said, I'm honestly stretched a little thin. My career is in script development, so coming home and having to turn around notes on their latest draft is genuinely sometimes the last thing I want to do. But if they're stuck on something, me reading the draft and pitching ideas is legitimately the only thing that helps them over a hurdle – so I would feel awful saying no. Even then, I find myself being cautious with my notes because I don't want a disagreement or misinterpretation to bleed over into a conflict in our actual relationship. And if the writing isn't going well, it feels like trying to break through the writer's block becomes the only thing that matters. It just leads to a lot of silence at home while they work on their scripts and I just find other things to do until a breakthrough hits.
This isn't an existential issue, I knew what I was signing up for when I started dating someone passionate about their art. I just wish I had someone to talk to who can empathize with the tightrope I'm trying to walk and maybe hear about ways other people have maintained healthy boundaries and been able to deescalate some of the negative emotions surrounding creating art, without destroying their SO's love for their craft.

Hi! I have an 8.5 month old and we are currently struggling on nap length and nighttime wakings.
I put him down at 6/6:30 depending on naps since dropping to two naps He wakes up almost always at 9pm, around 1am at night And wakes up at 5:30 am Is 6 - 6:30 too early of a bedtime? Ideally I would love to move him to a 7pm bedtime
He does do a full feed at 9pm. I want to CIO w him at the 9pm, but he is cutting teeth on his top and his bottom teeth are currently coming in, so I feel terrible. Last night I did try to CIO bur after 40 mins I gave in. I fed him and he immediately went to sleep. The 1am wakings I feel like are just to soothe. Since he is teething should I just let go of the CIO for night wakings until after all the teeth come in?
Our current schedule
5:30am- wake-up and nurse I try to get him to stay in his crib until 6, but if he is really crying I go in. About 10 mins after getting him I nurse and I can tell he isn’t super hungry because he isn’t sucking down the milk.
6:30/7am - solids
8(ish) am - nurse And then I do our naptime routine - singing, new diaper, turn sound machine on, put him in sleep sack
8:30am- first nap This nap only lasts around 50 mins Would love to extend, but once he’s up it’s impossible for me to rescue the nap. He is a VERY active baby w major FOMO
11:00(ish)am- nurse
I will usually nurse again right before just to hopefully get a longer nap. (Lately I feel like he isn’t doing great full feeds even when I wait 3 hours in between- not sure if that is due to teething)
12:30/1:00- second nap I usually get around an hour ten to an hour thirty out of this nap. So he’s up around 2-2:30 depending on the day
2:30/3pm nurse
3:30pm/4pm solids dinner
5:30/6pm nurse
Which means that puts us at a 6 pm /6:30 bedtime
So wake windows look to be 3/3.25-3.5/4
He does not fight any of his naps or bedtime. And then as said before Two wakings at night and sometimes even a 4am waking I also feel like his feedings are not great, idk if that is teething or me nursing too close together. I think I tend to nurse closer to make sure he gets a top off before a nap since I’m trying so hard to extend his nap, which may be screwing me?
Is this a schedule issue? Is this just teething? I’m at a loss.
My goals are 7pm/7:30pm bedtime 6am wake, and 2.5 hours worth of naps
Sorry if this is scattered, this is just how my mind works lol
I do want to add he is VERY active. Like most of his wake times consist of floor time (crawling, standing, coasting the furniture, walks in the stroller, outside time) so idk if that means wake windows should be a little shorter? I did try to put him down at 2.5hours after waking up and that went TERRIBLY lol