Explanation of strong weak bases and

Gender identity/expression changing after coming out
Hi all. I came out years ago as transfem nonbinary. I usually just sorta think of myself as “queer” for the most part, but I have different labels based on who asks.
Generally though I have seen myself as an androgynous gender. However, recently I’ve been feeling a strong confidence and authenticity deeper into the femme. I didn’t feel this way earlier in my transition - and it’s really surprising me. The feelings are intense and stronger in some ways than my first coming out.
My pronouns have been they/them/theirs (or really any pronouns)… but I’ve sorta been liking she/her.
I know gender identity/expression can change… but I’m a bit out of my depth. Has anyone else had big shifts after transitioning or coming out? Did you come out again to people? Or how did you deal with it?

This isn’t a question as it is an elaborate answer. I’ve been looking for answers pertaining to this question for a while now and since I made a YouTube video essay on it, I can finally share my own answer to this question. (If ur interested the video is titled “is ascended Astarion Cazador 2.0?” - KOOLPLUG)
Note: the following essay is copy pasted from the video script so it’s got a few fillers in it.
INTRODUCTION This videoessay evaluates the arguments posed in the debate between whether Astarion is "Cazador 2.0" or not. The phrasing, "Cazador 2.0" originates from a conversation at camp between Astarion and the player after his Ascension. This essay will question the validity of that phrase in light of Astarion's character, Cazador's rules and even Cazador's master- Vellioth's lessons. (as of current update x).
THE CYCLE OF ABUSE Before trying to draw parallels and contrasts between ascendant Astarion and Cazador, it is important to understand why the term "Cazador 2.0" is mentioned in a dialogue choice to begin with. The reason for this, is that an important theme in Astarion's story is the cycle of abuse and its perpetuation. This is hinted to the players by the existence of not just Cazador being abusive towards Astarion, but the existence of Cazador's abusive master- Vellioth, that players can learn about by exploring Cazador's mansion. Furthermore, the existence of this theme is explicitly made clear in the story when Astarion, choosing not to ascend, admits that the player saw it in him to end the "cycle of abuse" that had perpetuated for centuries. Being able to use the term "cazador 2.0" after Astarion's ascension, proves that the cycle has not been broken and might continue to exist through him. Some dialogues within the game even suggest that the spawn player becomes to Astarion, what Astarion was to Cazador. Also, it should be noted that the dialogue options in Baldur’s Gate serve a few purposes. firstly that dialogue options in Baldur's Gate 3 aim to emulate the freedom and flexibility of playing traditional Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) tabletop sessions, where players interact with a Dungeon Master (DM) who responds dynamically to their actions and dialogue choices. This diversity in dialogue options, ranging from calculated responses to unhinged ones, serves the purpose of recreating the immersive experience of D&D gameplay, where players feel empowered to shape the narrative and express themselves within the game world. At the same time, another purpose of the dialogue options within the game is to serve as a tool for story-telling on it’s own. It is this purpose that helps us understand the world of Baldur’s gate 3 better and one that most of the inferences in this video are based on. and to provide a better background, the rules being discussed in this video are rules of vampiric existence mentioned during different parts of the gameplay. Vellioths rules are exposed when exploring cazadors palace and cazadors rules are explained during a dream Astarion has in his origin run.
VELLIOTH'S LESSONS Before we move onto Cazador's rules it is important to look at Vellioth's lessons. This is because a dialogue by Astarion suggests that Cazador copied and derived his rules from his master- Vellioth's. ("He stole everything. Even his precious rules.")
Vellioth's first lesson is to always to dominate. and allow none to be your equal: This is a rule that leads Cazador to treat those around him as inferior. In the case of Astarion, Cazador belittles and demeans him by calling him his pet, imperfect, and a weak, pathetic boy who never amounted to anything. Similary, ascended Astarion tries to assert control over the romanced player and doesn't allow them to be his equal. While Astarion hasn't been outright demeaning and even calls the player flowery terms like beautiful and perfect, an insight check reveals that Astarion thinks that the player is degrading themself by staying with him. A contrast to this is spawn Astarion who after choosing not to ascend says that he sees the player as his equal (spawn becomes an equal and share his future with you). Similarly when Cazador once broke this rule of Vellioth's and confided in a friend, he was forced to watch Vellioth drain his friend dry. (this stroke of luck that gave Astarion a chance Cazador didn't have will be discussed in yet another video.) Vellioth's second lesson is that power comes from solitude. to share with others is to be weak, fail and die: This once again ties in with treating others as inferiors. Furthermore, the players are told that Cazador had once rebelled against this rule which led him to be impaled for 11 years. This is akin to Astarion being buried alive for a year. I imagine Cazador thinks he went easy on Astarion by not impaling him for 11 whole years…It can be inferred that this as well as previous horrific experiences makes Cazador lean towards loneliness and isolation (cazador in his coffin: "these deathless dreams hold memories of a mortal life once-forgotten. of the boy I was, the man I became, the monster that will not end. I sleep but cannot rest. I live, but cannot die. I am eternal and I grieve. consummatum est- ego cecidi"). Huh, so someone as cold hearted as Cazador once had dreams and a friend he could confide in. It’s almost as if monsters are born from the choices we make. A parallel with Astarion here occurs after breaking up with his ascended version. At the epilogue party he admits that he too is lonely in the crimson palace, but he is sure that he is not as lonely as his former lover. The third and final lesson is to act not in haste. and that a near immortal has time to plan time to act only when others will pay the price of action. The players are then told about how during the rite of perfect slaughter Cazador killed Vellioth and proceeded to take everything he owned from him. Similarly when Astarion ascends, he kills Cazador in the rite of profane ascension and goes on to steal the castle and Cazador's status for himself. (I was amused by this cycle of failed vampires and wrote a fanfic based on this) This is in contrast to spawn Astarion who burns the crimson palace down in a particular ending. In a nutshell Ascended Astarion has applied each of vellioth’s lessons and may as well be considered Vellioth 3.0. By the way, if ur enjoying the video then consider liking and subscribing for more videos like these.
CAZADOR'S RULES Before we move onto each of Cazador's rules I find it imperative to first explain that Astarion may not superficially seem like Cazador in the following rules.This is because Astarion employs them in a different manner. Also, the parallels do start treading into a gray area when considering the some of the rules. Cazador rules:
the first is, thou shalt not drink the blood of thinking creatures for which I couldn't find a parallel yet. So we will have to count this rule as an exception. the second rule says that thou shalt obey me in all things. Astarion follows this rule when the spawn player asks whether he can compel them. He dodges the question instead by saying (why would I need to? you're going to be wonderfully obedient.) Some people miss this details as a comparison because they attribute the dialogue to his playfulness or love. This misconception occurs because Astarion isn't as blunt as Cazador. Instead he uses flowery words and presents these rules not as commands, but as the player's own choice through a layer of romantic implications. He knows how to subtly get what he wants from the player because manipulation and flattery are his skills. He even employs this tactic by using terms like "consort" (vampire bride) instead of "spawn" when the player asks him what will happen to them. This is not to say that ascended Astarion doesn't love the player. Quite the contrary. both versions of Astarion love the player in their own unique ways in accordance with their character development. Ascended Astarion mostly just has his walls guarded and puts up an (performance of x character from movie) air of confidence while spawn Astarion is more vulnerable and silly. The third rule states, thou shalt not leave my side unless directed. Once again, Astarion subtly suggests this rule by saying (just dont stray too far, but you'd never dream of doing that. would u?) framing it like a choice instead of an order. However there is an exception to this rule in one of the endings where the player romances ascended Astarion and he allows them to go to Avernus with Karlach. So this makes it hard to say how serious he is about enforcing these specific rules. the final rule states thou shalt know that thou art mine which easily enough draws a parallel to ascended Astarion's possessive dialogues. (keep you all to myself)"you are mine forever" (same way that Astarion tells tav: thats what you want isnt it? to be mine forever) So in terms of cazador’s rules, 2 out of 4 seamlessly apply to ascended Astarion. It’s possible Astarion’s approach to vampirism, combining both cazadors and Vellioths rules suggests his own rules of vampiric existence. OTHER SIMILARITIES Apart from the lessons and rules, there are other similarities between Astarion and Cazador exemplified in the following clips: "own your body, kill your mind." (my mind was dulled in the bedouirs: after ascension)
They both once were kinder, eg cazador and his friend, astarion and sebastian.
Cazador calls Astarion ungrateful in the crypt and Astarion calls Tav ungrateful when they ask for freedom.
Both are power hungry. Blinded by power (Astarion says that he was almost blinded by it like Cazador)
The strongest indicator of ascended Astarion being like cazador lies in his intention to follow in Cazador's footsteps. He intends to be like Cazador whether he realizes it or not. In a dialogue that draws a comparison between him and Cazador, Astarion says that he is so much better than Cazador was. Specifically because he “achieved what Cazador only dreamed about.” (And now my ambitions can take me anywhere I want.) Astarion’s understanding of being "better" than Cazador is merely surpassing him in his own game. He is not "better" in terms of what debauchery Cazador may have committed because its very clear Ascended Astarion intends to commit the very same or similar deeds if not with his own flourish. (Scene where Astarion talks about the disappearances etc during epilogue party)
CONCLUSION Based on the abundant evidence it isn’t a stretch to call Astarion Cazador 2.0, Vellioth 3.0 or another abusive vampire lord 8.0. In fact, it aligns well with the main concept of the cycle of abuse in Astarion’s story. Yes there are a few gray areas with the rules and Astarion is not exactly like Cazador but the story shows us that neither was Cazador exactly like Vellioth. Yet they all succumbed to the decision that to stop being abused they needed to become the abuser. That the fear ingrained in them was their only reality for it was all they had known for so long. And eventually they traded an endless hunger that consumed blood with a hunger for power that would soon consume them. If u liked this video then do subscribe and like to promote it within the YouTube algorithm. And comment what u think about it. Do u think Ascended Astarion is Cazador 2.0? does the romanced player somehow change this equation or make it worse? Share your thoughts below.

Hello everyone! My name is Jessica, I'm 27 years old, and I live in sunny Los Angeles. I wanted to share a little bit about my skincare journey and how I've managed to clear up my skin with the help of the Helios filter. If you're struggling with your skin, I hope my story can offer some inspiration.
For the longest time, I dealt with persistent breakouts and dull skin. I tried countless products, from high-end to drugstore brands, but nothing seemed to make a significant difference. Then, a friend recommended the Helios filter, a water filter designed specifically to remove impurities that can aggravate the skin.
Installing the Helios filter was a game-changer for me. Los Angeles tap water is notorious for being harsh, and I realized that all those impurities were taking a toll on my skin. After switching to the Helios filter, I noticed a remarkable difference within a few weeks. My skin started to clear up, my complexion brightened, and those stubborn breakouts became less frequent.
In addition to using the Helios filter, I started washing my face with cold water every night. This little trick has done wonders for reducing inflammation and tightening my pores. Plus, it feels incredibly refreshing, especially after a long day in the LA heat.
Here's a peek into my daily skincare routine:

1. Morning Routine:
   • Cleanser: I start with a gentle, hydrating cleanser to remove any overnight buildup.
   • Toner: I use a calming toner to balance my skin's pH.
   • Serum: A vitamin C serum to brighten and protect against environmental damage.
   • Moisturizer: A lightweight, oil-free moisturizer to keep my skin hydrated without clogging pores.
   • Sunscreen: Never skip sunscreen! I use a broad-spectrum SPF 50 to shield my skin from the strong California sun.
2. Night Routine:
   • Cleanser: I double cleanse at night, first with an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup, followed by a water-based cleanser.
   • Exfoliant: A gentle exfoliating toner twice a week to slough off dead skin cells.
   • Treatment: Depending on my skin’s needs, I use either a retinol or a hydrating serum.
   • Moisturizer: A richer, nourishing moisturizer to repair and hydrate overnight.
   • Cold Water Rinse: As a final step, I rinse my face with cold water to soothe my skin and seal in the benefits of my nighttime products.

Since incorporating the Helios filter and these skincare habits, my skin has never looked better. The combination of clean, filtered water and a consistent, thoughtful routine has given me the clear, glowing skin I always wanted. If you’re facing similar skin issues, I highly recommend giving the Helios filter a try. It might just be the missing piece in your skincare puzzle!

I asked chat gpt what would happen if everyone played GTO optimal - is this bullshit or no?
If everyone played perfect Game Theory Optimal (GTO) poker, the game would reach a state of equilibrium where no player would consistently win or lose against another in the long run. Here's a detailed explanation of how this works and what it means for the dynamics of the game:

Understanding Equilibrium in GTO Poker

1. Game Theory Basics:
   
   • In game theory, an equilibrium (specifically, a Nash Equilibrium) is a situation where no player can improve their outcome by unilaterally changing their strategy, given that all other players are also playing their optimal strategies.
   • In poker, if all players are using GTO strategies, they are effectively at this equilibrium. No player can exploit another because everyone is playing optimally.
2. Minimizing Exploitability:
   
   • GTO poker is about minimizing exploitability. This means making decisions that prevent your opponents from gaining an advantage over you.
   • When all players are playing GTO, they are minimizing their own exploitability while also not being able to exploit others. This leads to a balance where no one has a consistent edge.

Outcomes in a GTO Environment

1. Expected Value:
   
   • In a GTO environment, each player’s expected value (EV) from each hand is maximized relative to their own strategy. However, since everyone else is also playing optimally, the EV balances out over time.
   • While short-term fluctuations due to luck will occur, long-term profits and losses will even out.
2. Skill Edge:
   
   • In reality, achieving perfect GTO play is nearly impossible for humans due to the complexity of the calculations involved. Therefore, even in high-level games, slight deviations from GTO by some players allow for skill edges.
   • Players who can get closer to GTO or who can exploit minor mistakes by others will still have an edge.

Practical Implications of GTO Poker

1. Balanced Strategies:
   
   • GTO involves playing balanced strategies, meaning you mix up your play to prevent being predictable. For example, sometimes you might bluff with a weak hand, and other times you might bet with a strong hand.
   • This balance makes it difficult for opponents to determine your hand strength based on your actions.
2. Long-Term Perspective:
   
   • Poker is a game of incomplete information and variance. Short-term results can vary greatly due to the luck of the draw, but over the long term, skill and strategy prevail.
   • GTO ensures that, over the long run, you are not giving up edges to opponents.

Why Winning is Still Possible

1. Human Error:
   
   • Even at high levels of play, human error and deviations from GTO strategies occur. These deviations can be exploited by skilled players who recognize and adapt to them.
   • Slight mistakes, such as betting too frequently with certain hands or not balancing bluffing ranges properly, can provide opportunities for others to gain an edge.
2. Adjustment and Adaptation:
   
   • While GTO provides a solid foundation, successful players often adjust their strategies based on their opponents’ tendencies. This is known as exploitative play.
   • If an opponent consistently deviates from GTO in a predictable way, adjusting your strategy to exploit these deviations can lead to significant profits.
3. Practical Limitations:
   
   • In live poker, players have to make decisions in real-time without the aid of computers to calculate optimal plays. This makes it challenging to play perfect GTO.
   • Even in online poker, where players can use tools and software to aid their decisions, the complexity of GTO ensures that perfect play is more of an aspiration than a reality.

Conclusion

If everyone played perfect GTO poker, the game would theoretically result in a state of equilibrium where no player consistently wins or loses over the long run. However, due to human error, the inherent complexity of GTO, and the necessity for real-time decision-making, perfect GTO play is practically unattainable. This means that in reality, opportunities for profit and exploitation still exist, allowing skilled players to win over time.
Understanding GTO is crucial for becoming a strong poker player, but equally important is the ability to recognize and adapt to opponents’ mistakes and tendencies. This combination of GTO principles and exploitative adjustments is what ultimately leads to long-term success in poker.

I’m not using this in my campaign yet, this idea has just been kicking around in my brain for a few days. I fully expect a subclass like this to be released with the final game—- I bet that once the base game is ironed out, there will be an explosion of new subclasses and domain cards. I'm just putting this online to let it circulate through the community.
FOUNDATION
Experienced Fighter - For any Physical weapon that uses your Agility Trait, you may use Knowledge instead.
Martial Artist - When you hit a target with a melee attack, instead of rolling damage, you may describe how you best your opponent. Spend a Hope and pick from the list below:

• Your opponent drops their weapon
• Your opponent is temporarily Restrained
• Your opponent is temporarily Vulnerable

SPECIALIZATION
Exploit Weakness - Add the following to your list of options for your “Martial Artist” ability:

• Temporarily reduce your target’s Difficulty by 1d4

MASTERY
Vigilant - When the GM calls for a Reaction Roll, you may describe how you were prepared for things to go badly. Mark a stress to add your Knowledge trait to the Reaction Roll.
Supreme Art - When you use your Martial Artist ability, you may pick up to two effects. You must spend a Hope for each effect.

• If this composition reaches late game is better than all compositions.

It can clear chaff very good thanks to arclights.
It outranges all compositions thanks to Elite Marksmen upgrade.
It has very good damage thanks to Charged shot Elite Marksmen upgrade.
It can shoot air thanks to Anti-Aircraft ammunition.

• I can't find any weakness to this comp.

All comps that I tried end on the same thing, he can clear my chaff much faster from a greater range. Then the arclight line outranges me and outdamages me from afar. Also a level 3-4 arclight is very tanky.
I tried elite snipers - not good enough chaff clearance.
I tried max upgrade scorpions - not good enough clearance and dps.
I tried emp, but rockets can be beaten by anti-missie turret and snipers or phoenix can shoot into chaff.
I know I need to be agressive to not let him build the elite arclight line, but he can just chill in base where I need to take risks and be the agressive one to try to end the game early.
I do not consider a good game strategy to not let him reach the late game or you are facked,

• I had a game where I knew it was coming early from round 4-5, I managed to decrease his hp to 120hp but his arclights levels and upgrades kicked in and could not do anything.

The only thing I can think of next game is make fangs with shields to try to tank as much as possible, put some dps behind and pray for the best.
Also I could try to force the comp myself to see what counters other players can do...
What is your opinion am I missing something, am I missing a counter to this composition ?

• Transphobic video using the word "tr***y"
• Referencing drag queens as clowns
• Doesn't disclose that reviews were really paid ads Edited her body for an Aerie ad, which is a brand that supposedly prides themselves on using real bodies.
• Was blocking and ignoring customers who purchased her Glamlite Paht 2 collection, never received their order, and asked about it. All of this while Glamlite was siphoning stock to CVS and also ignored customer inquiries about their overdue orders.
• Along with CVS, broke their "Beauty Unaltered" pledge by creating a display unit that is obviously filtered of the Trash Goblin’s face.
• Committed fraud by pledging that 50% of the proceeds from the Paht 2 collection would be donated to women's healthcare after the Dobbs decision. When anyone commented to ask about it, they were banned from her socials. This one is the most egregious, as there are people who might have purchased solely based on her pledge. She lied about not getting paid yet to make the donation just as the CVS distribution happened.
• She's myopic and doesn't care about her supporters, as she continually discusses her ED without the common courtesy of a trigger warning like most creators do for subjects like this. Her explanation for why she doesn't give a TW? "It doesn't trigger me, so fuck all of you." She's so disrespectful of Cody's sobriety.
• Does giveaways by making followers jump through engagement hoops to boost her profile but then didn't deliver on the giveaways.
• Begging... BEGGING.. followers on her broadcast channel to drop an emoji as a comment to inflate her engagement rate, as comments are engagement rate gold for getting paid.
• Claims she donates extra product to women's shelters, and then went on Instagram asking for suggestions on where in her area she can donate women's clothes. She's so fucking dense that she either doesn't realize the same places she supposedly donates product to is a good first start, or she outed herself as never donating before like she said she did if she doesn't know where to donate clothes locally.
• She's a terrible brand ambassador, which is on her and DBA. She went on a free Paris trip sponsored by Caudalie, and she shit talked how broken out her skin got on the trip (with the assumption she was using their products and services) and never once really hyped the brand that was paying for her to be there.
• Took money from Briogio for a campaign and at the same time posted videos about her hair falling out. She's so dumb she doesn't realize that she caused a causation comparison.
• She's lying about having clients, paying clients that aren't her friends and family. She is not a MUA or a certified in MA to do makeup.
• She brigades brands who don't do her bidding like a brat. Pottery Barn in the middle of the pandemic had shipping and quality issues. She sent her followers after them and then begged PB for more free stuff.
• She has her friends like HeartofGreg comment on her videos, which she then stiches the comment to review a product. She then takes that video and shops it to the brand to get them to sponsor the video.. and a few weeks later the video resurfaces as partner, paid partnerships, sponsorship.
• Tax fraud when handling gratis, expenses, and giveaways
• Did a giveaway for Chanel bags with Chris Appleton (Color Wow) and the Boston's Children's Hospital, which was against GoFundMe's Terms of Service. She never gave the winners their prize.
• Dogs a brand who sent her free items but then turns around and praises the brand when they pay her (She did it with Essence and KVD).
• Did a bunch of fake "pick out my wedding makeup" when she 100% knew what she was using including the fact that e.l.f. sponsored her wedding as a brand event. She says that's not true, but I can guarantee e.l.f. writes off the expenses they incurred for her wedding as a business expense.
• Lied about her YouTube page being her page. She feverously uploaded videos when she took her 5:19, baby tantrum, pity party break from TikTok but still needed to earn money. She uploaded her TikTok videos to YouTube, lied that it was her channel, and made money. If it wasn't her channel, you know she and DBA would file a cease and desist .. and win it.. to get the channel removed. It's her channel.
• Her filter usage is fraud. Period. There is no debating it. When you are getting paid to review products and apply a filter on your face and body, you are committing fraud. The viewer thinks it's the product making that effect and not really the software engineering team that created the editing app.
• With the PeeeLouish collab, they were caught pre-applying swatches from the P.Louise palette. She's also not really applying makeup in her videos. Cheeks, bronzer, and eyes are being applied off screen and she's swiping a brush making it look like she's applying it. Another sign she can't do professional makeup at all. It's all fake.
• Every ”in the wild” picture that’s not filtered shows the truth.
• She constantly lurks on other creators pages to find commenters to block when they shit talk her. Insecure much? She’ll unblock people to snark them and lurk, then block them again. We know she does this with Rich Lux.
• She supports James Charles. The grifting carnival barker loves the groomer trash.
• Community Contribution: She shits on her estranged half sister to her millions of followers, when all the evidence points to her sister being frozen out of their family at the age of 14. She claims her sister walked out of their lives because she “wasn’t the precious daughter of the family anymore” after Mikayla was born, and also talks badly about her sister for being on disability. Mikayla is an aunt to two girls, but I doubt she’s ever cared nor met them. Her sister also lived and lives right down the road from Mikayla’s parents home.
• She’s a known bully and coming from someone who’s now being regarded as an ED spokesperson. She told her friend that drinking hot chocolate would be “200 very unnecessary calories”, and that she was “just trying to help since you’re trying to lose weight” with that comment. She’s a mean girl, and she always has been.
• She cries about shade range while she brags about being soooo pale (um, really?). She releases collabs that are not inclusive for POC. She then brags about buying out and hoarding darker foundations and concealers to use as bronzers meaning the very little stock available for darker skin tones becomes even more scarce when her idiot stans buy up the product. She also blackfishes.
• She can't admit when she's wrong and aggressively lashes out to those trying to point it out. She called a comb and brush, and when corrected in her comments, she was incredibly rude to her own followers. You know, the people engaging with her content that's paying her mortgage. She is incapable of saying, "oops, my bad." Her integrity is crap for this behavior.
• Just like the above, the unwillingness to admit a simple mistake turned her into an ableist POS. There are those with low vision or no vision who listen to TikToks and rely on accuracy in speech and closed captions. Her "go fuck yourself, bro" attitude when called out about the comb incident made her incredibly ableist.
• She creates rage bait content to generate engagement gold via angry comments. This makes her a carnival barking grifter.
• She begs for engagement on her broadcast channel trying to force things to go viral like "nice and shaaaahhp." It's actually pathetic watching her do this.
• Used a derogatory term used to reference Travelers/Romani people and doubled down on it when people called her out and educated her on the use of the word.
• Lied about creating some Mother's Day shopping spree for a "family in need" saying that when she heard their story, she knew she just had to help. When asked in the comments about the story, she played the, "It's not my story the tell." Come to find out, the story is that the child goes to the school that Mikayla's mom works at. There was a raffle at the school, and one of the prizes was a $500 shopping trip with MikPickMe. The girl's mom paid for 40 entries to win the raffle, and she did. The only reason the shopping was done on Mother's Day was due to conflicting schedules. This was not a shopping spree for a family in need. It was a prize from a raffle that Mikayla's mommy had a hand in.
• MikLieHole took Rael's money and trip and went in days earlier with her emotional support animal, Codypendency, and did meetings with a competitor, Tirtir. Tirtir gifted her a Birkin while in South Korea, too.

Hi!
I hope someone knowledgeable will be able to guide/help me.
I am 22 years old - my problem is that I have been experiencing a strong impostor syndrome from the beginning. I have done the DIVA test three times with different psychologists. Each time I scored high, and basically, everything fits together rationally. I do indeed recognize the impostor symptom in myself. I discussed this with a friend who is finishing psychology studies and also has ADHD, and he supports my perspective.
Additionally, my father, who committed suicide, most likely also struggled with ADHD (based on the DIVA methodology, I asked the family and matched it to events that complicated his life further, plus, of course, chronic depression).Everything was rather stable until 3 days ago when I had bad lack for a psychiatrist (where I did the last DIVA and a specialist was recommended) - an online visit. I don't want to sound conceited (also, I'm not a doctor), but I had the impression that the psychiatrist I consulted often didn't know the answers to my questions and was evasive. He seemed more interested in my money than in helping and understanding me (I have seen 2 psychologists, 2 therapists, and 3 psychiatrists, so I have a comparison whether someone cares or is genuinely interested). I have scheduled my next appointment with a doctor that is leading ADHD treatment here in Poland
Returning to the point, my impostor syndrome flared up additionally when the psychiatrist stated during the interview that "the symptoms I experience are rather mild, or I somehow manage them, otherwise I would have problems with studying and working" (my professional life is okay, but about 4 times below my potential because I have issues with fluctuations in activity - I work intensely for several days, and then have a few days of a depressive period - it's not like manic-depression, it's rather about activity and the ability to motivate myself to do things, not finding less painful activities, etc.). This surprised me because I perceive them differently (and they seem more concrete than just excusing my inefficiencies). So, of course, I continued the previously started research to feel more at ease.
I was prescribed a dosage that seems non-standard: Medikinet 10mg CR daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and I can double it and then report back after finishing.All this has led to many questions and overthinking. The first day, 10mg didn't make much of an impression on me; it settled me a bit, I felt some interest, took the second dose in the afternoon as recommended, and, of course, couldn't sleep (despite 6mg of melatonin).
Yesterday, I took 20mg in the morning and felt the need to organize everything, and I cleaned the whole apartment, including scrubbing under the closet.Despite this, the impostor syndrome is so insidious that I keep wondering if I'm imagining things, over-researched, and adjusted the answers or interpretations of my life and events to fit the thesis.It's generally a terrible issue because I hope that after years of struggling with "depression," it will finally be addressed, and I can stop dealing with such matters and just focus on work - I am 22 years old, and my first visit to a psychiatrist for depression was around 15-16 years old.
Currently, I have the biggest dilemmas in the following areas, and I really hope someone could shed some light or guide me:

1. **Methylphenidate in a person without ADHD** - I couldn't find anything concrete on whether I can verify this - if, for example, I don't have ADHD, how should it affect me vs. someone with ADHD. It's so vaguely described on the internet that it's not clear if there's a concrete way to verify this to avoid questioning my own observations. Obviously, a solid diagnosis like a blood test or MRI for other diseases won't be available, but by nature, I'm a skeptic and need it grounded to sleep peacefully and not get into unnecessary discussions with people who barely understand the subject.
   
2. **Effectiveness of diagnostics** - I haven't encountered any data on how often diagnoses are invalidated. I read on Reddit (unfortunately, there are few better discussion places with a lot of content) that one girl had an ADHD diagnosis, took Adderall, and after about 2 years, it turned out it wasn't ADHD but some compulsive disorder. Is there any information on how many people with an ADHD diagnosis and prescribed treatment are misdiagnosed? It's known that in the USA, people sometimes stretch the truth to get Adderall, but I'm sure you understand my point and the essence of the matter.
   
3. **Dosage** - I have a bit of time left before my next appointment and wonder what I can do (but nothing stupid). My friend, for example, has 30mg CR in the morning and then has those on-demand Medikinet, which keeps him okay later in the day and doesn't cause sleep problems; he's considering switching to Concerta. From my psychiatrist, I basically got the information I already mentioned plus to avoid abusing alcohol. Is there anything I can change in these recommendations to not waste time? If I just take 30mg or 40mg in the morning (of course, gradually and checking the response weekly), am I exposing myself to any problems? I found out on my own that I won't die, but I'm interested in the effectiveness of this treatment, not messing around.
   
4. **A question completely omitted by the psychiatrist, and I didn't get any specific information, which is quite important to me**. In all the DIVA tests, I scored higher in adulthood than in childhood. In the last one, it came out as follows: Summary of symptoms according to DSM-5: I. Attention Deficit: Adulthood: 8/9, Childhood: 7/9 II. Hyperactivity and impulsivity: Adulthood: 9/9, Childhood: 8/9 III. Experienced symptoms are a source of significant problems, manifesting in at least 2 areas of life in both childhood and adulthood. After my own analysis, talking to my mom and sister, it's hard to deny that I had serious problems in areas affected by ADHD plus many “less obvious” symptoms that I learned about from PsychiatraPlus from Mr. Jóźwiak (thanks God he records because books and articles in Poland on the internet are often a disaster) in quite significant intensity. I'm still afraid of cognitive bias and fitting the situation to the thesis.
   

I noticed an increase in many symptoms attributed to ADHD after 2022 (when my father committed suicide, which involved PTSD therapy because I saw a lot, plus a depressive episode). Before, I might have had 2-3 such severe depressive episodes. I skimmed through (I emphasize because I might have missed something that would answer my question, and I don't want to appear lazy coming for a free ready-made solution) meta-analyses (The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based Conclusions about the Disorder). This fragment intrigued me: "ADHD is rarely caused by a single genetic or environmental risk factor, but most cases of ADHD are caused by the combined effects of many genetic and environmental risks, each having a very small effect."
This, of course, suggested a possible scenario - a father with ADHD + trauma could have exacerbated my symptoms, hence now they are more noticeable to me than before, although it resonates more with me that conditions, tasks, and challenges I face have changed. I didn't observe myself in this regard before; I didn't have the knowledge; I attributed my failures to a different “legend” (I wasn't taught consequences, laziness, lack of discipline, if I tried harder, etc.) than ADHD. Obviously, I'm not so infantile as to expect someone to try to resolve this issue, but based on the current conclusive knowledge, how do you assess my line of thinking, does it hold together? Could I check anything else additionally?
To conclude, I know I need to find a good psychiatrist; I have one in mind, but it's pointless at this moment when I have prescriptions and "recommendations" to schedule and pay for a visit since I'll probably get not very in-depth answers (I also understand doctors don't have 2 hours to give a lecture on how and why things work), rather reassuring and "we'll observe." Whenever something stresses or confuses me, I just try to understand it, and when it turns out that my inherent skepticism activated unnecessarily, the problem disappears from the radar.
I hope someone will guide me to the right materials that will tell me a bit more about these issues. Once again, thank you in advance for any response and time spent just reading this post. If additional questions arise to provide a better answer, I am happy to respond.

Hi!
I hope someone knowledgeable will be able to guide/help me.
I am 22 years old - my problem is that I have been experiencing a strong impostor syndrome from the beginning. I have done the DIVA test three times with different psychologists. Each time I scored high, and basically, everything fits together rationally. I do indeed recognize the impostor symptom in myself. I discussed this with a friend who is finishing psychology studies and also has ADHD, and he supports my perspective.
Additionally, my father, who committed suicide, most likely also struggled with ADHD (based on the DIVA methodology, I asked the family and matched it to events that complicated his life further, plus, of course, chronic depression).Everything was rather stable until 3 days ago when I had bad lack for a psychiatrist (where I did the last DIVA and a specialist was recommended) - an online visit. I don't want to sound conceited (also, I'm not a doctor), but I had the impression that the psychiatrist I consulted often didn't know the answers to my questions and was evasive. He seemed more interested in my money than in helping and understanding me (I have seen 2 psychologists, 2 therapists, and 3 psychiatrists, so I have a comparison whether someone cares or is genuinely interested). I have scheduled my next appointment with a doctor that is leading ADHD treatment here in Poland
Returning to the point, my impostor syndrome flared up additionally when the psychiatrist stated during the interview that "the symptoms I experience are rather mild, or I somehow manage them, otherwise I would have problems with studying and working" (my professional life is okay, but about 4 times below my potential because I have issues with fluctuations in activity - I work intensely for several days, and then have a few days of a depressive period - it's not like manic-depression, it's rather about activity and the ability to motivate myself to do things, not finding less painful activities, etc.). This surprised me because I perceive them differently (and they seem more concrete than just excusing my inefficiencies). So, of course, I continued the previously started research to feel more at ease.
I was prescribed a dosage that seems non-standard: Medikinet 10mg CR daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and I can double it and then report back after finishing.All this has led to many questions and overthinking. The first day, 10mg didn't make much of an impression on me; it settled me a bit, I felt some interest, took the second dose in the afternoon as recommended, and, of course, couldn't sleep (despite 6mg of melatonin).
Yesterday, I took 20mg in the morning and felt the need to organize everything, and I cleaned the whole apartment, including scrubbing under the closet.Despite this, the impostor syndrome is so insidious that I keep wondering if I'm imagining things, over-researched, and adjusted the answers or interpretations of my life and events to fit the thesis.It's generally a terrible issue because I hope that after years of struggling with "depression," it will finally be addressed, and I can stop dealing with such matters and just focus on work - I am 22 years old, and my first visit to a psychiatrist for depression was around 15-16 years old.
Currently, I have the biggest dilemmas in the following areas, and I really hope someone could shed some light or guide me:

1. **Methylphenidate in a person without ADHD** - I couldn't find anything concrete on whether I can verify this - if, for example, I don't have ADHD, how should it affect me vs. someone with ADHD. It's so vaguely described on the internet that it's not clear if there's a concrete way to verify this to avoid questioning my own observations. Obviously, a solid diagnosis like a blood test or MRI for other diseases won't be available, but by nature, I'm a skeptic and need it grounded to sleep peacefully and not get into unnecessary discussions with people who barely understand the subject.
   
2. **Effectiveness of diagnostics** - I haven't encountered any data on how often diagnoses are invalidated. I read on Reddit (unfortunately, there are few better discussion places with a lot of content) that one girl had an ADHD diagnosis, took Adderall, and after about 2 years, it turned out it wasn't ADHD but some compulsive disorder. Is there any information on how many people with an ADHD diagnosis and prescribed treatment are misdiagnosed? It's known that in the USA, people sometimes stretch the truth to get Adderall, but I'm sure you understand my point and the essence of the matter.
   
3. **Dosage** - I have a bit of time left before my next appointment and wonder what I can do (but nothing stupid). My friend, for example, has 30mg CR in the morning and then has those on-demand Medikinet, which keeps him okay later in the day and doesn't cause sleep problems; he's considering switching to Concerta. From my psychiatrist, I basically got the information I already mentioned plus to avoid abusing alcohol. Is there anything I can change in these recommendations to not waste time? If I just take 30mg or 40mg in the morning (of course, gradually and checking the response weekly), am I exposing myself to any problems? I found out on my own that I won't die, but I'm interested in the effectiveness of this treatment, not messing around.
   
4. **A question completely omitted by the psychiatrist, and I didn't get any specific information, which is quite important to me**. In all the DIVA tests, I scored higher in adulthood than in childhood. In the last one, it came out as follows: Summary of symptoms according to DSM-5: I. Attention Deficit: Adulthood: 8/9, Childhood: 7/9 II. Hyperactivity and impulsivity: Adulthood: 9/9, Childhood: 8/9 III. Experienced symptoms are a source of significant problems, manifesting in at least 2 areas of life in both childhood and adulthood. After my own analysis, talking to my mom and sister, it's hard to deny that I had serious problems in areas affected by ADHD plus many “less obvious” symptoms that I learned about from PsychiatraPlus from Mr. Jóźwiak (thanks God he records because books and articles in Poland on the internet are often a disaster) in quite significant intensity. I'm still afraid of cognitive bias and fitting the situation to the thesis.
   

I noticed an increase in many symptoms attributed to ADHD after 2022 (when my father committed suicide, which involved PTSD therapy because I saw a lot, plus a depressive episode). Before, I might have had 2-3 such severe depressive episodes. I skimmed through (I emphasize because I might have missed something that would answer my question, and I don't want to appear lazy coming for a free ready-made solution) meta-analyses (The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based Conclusions about the Disorder). This fragment intrigued me: "ADHD is rarely caused by a single genetic or environmental risk factor, but most cases of ADHD are caused by the combined effects of many genetic and environmental risks, each having a very small effect."
This, of course, suggested a possible scenario - a father with ADHD + trauma could have exacerbated my symptoms, hence now they are more noticeable to me than before, although it resonates more with me that conditions, tasks, and challenges I face have changed. I didn't observe myself in this regard before; I didn't have the knowledge; I attributed my failures to a different “legend” (I wasn't taught consequences, laziness, lack of discipline, if I tried harder, etc.) than ADHD. Obviously, I'm not so infantile as to expect someone to try to resolve this issue, but based on the current conclusive knowledge, how do you assess my line of thinking, does it hold together? Could I check anything else additionally?
To conclude, I know I need to find a good psychiatrist; I have one in mind, but it's pointless at this moment when I have prescriptions and "recommendations" to schedule and pay for a visit since I'll probably get not very in-depth answers (I also understand doctors don't have 2 hours to give a lecture on how and why things work), rather reassuring and "we'll observe." Whenever something stresses or confuses me, I just try to understand it, and when it turns out that my inherent skepticism activated unnecessarily, the problem disappears from the radar.
I hope someone will guide me to the right materials that will tell me a bit more about these issues. Once again, thank you in advance for any response and time spent just reading this post. If additional questions arise to provide a better answer, I am happy to respond.

Hi!
I hope someone knowledgeable will be able to guide/help me.
I am 22 years old - my problem is that I have been experiencing a strong impostor syndrome from the beginning. I have done the DIVA test three times with different psychologists. Each time I scored high, and basically, everything fits together rationally. I do indeed recognize the impostor symptom in myself. I discussed this with a friend who is finishing psychology studies and also has ADHD, and he supports my perspective.
Additionally, my father, who committed suicide, most likely also struggled with ADHD (based on the DIVA methodology, I asked the family and matched it to events that complicated his life further, plus, of course, chronic depression).Everything was rather stable until 3 days ago when I had bad lack for a psychiatrist (where I did the last DIVA and a specialist was recommended) - an online visit. I don't want to sound conceited (also, I'm not a doctor), but I had the impression that the psychiatrist I consulted often didn't know the answers to my questions and was evasive. He seemed more interested in my money than in helping and understanding me (I have seen 2 psychologists, 2 therapists, and 3 psychiatrists, so I have a comparison whether someone cares or is genuinely interested). I have scheduled my next appointment with a doctor that is leading ADHD treatment here in Poland
Returning to the point, my impostor syndrome flared up additionally when the psychiatrist stated during the interview that "the symptoms I experience are rather mild, or I somehow manage them, otherwise I would have problems with studying and working" (my professional life is okay, but about 4 times below my potential because I have issues with fluctuations in activity - I work intensely for several days, and then have a few days of a depressive period - it's not like manic-depression, it's rather about activity and the ability to motivate myself to do things, not finding less painful activities, etc.). This surprised me because I perceive them differently (and they seem more concrete than just excusing my inefficiencies). So, of course, I continued the previously started research to feel more at ease.
I was prescribed a dosage that seems non-standard: Medikinet 10mg CR daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and I can double it and then report back after finishing.All this has led to many questions and overthinking. The first day, 10mg didn't make much of an impression on me; it settled me a bit, I felt some interest, took the second dose in the afternoon as recommended, and, of course, couldn't sleep (despite 6mg of melatonin).
Yesterday, I took 20mg in the morning and felt the need to organize everything, and I cleaned the whole apartment, including scrubbing under the closet.Despite this, the impostor syndrome is so insidious that I keep wondering if I'm imagining things, over-researched, and adjusted the answers or interpretations of my life and events to fit the thesis.It's generally a terrible issue because I hope that after years of struggling with "depression," it will finally be addressed, and I can stop dealing with such matters and just focus on work - I am 22 years old, and my first visit to a psychiatrist for depression was around 15-16 years old.
Currently, I have the biggest dilemmas in the following areas, and I really hope someone could shed some light or guide me:

1. **Methylphenidate in a person without ADHD** - I couldn't find anything concrete on whether I can verify this - if, for example, I don't have ADHD, how should it affect me vs. someone with ADHD. It's so vaguely described on the internet that it's not clear if there's a concrete way to verify this to avoid questioning my own observations. Obviously, a solid diagnosis like a blood test or MRI for other diseases won't be available, but by nature, I'm a skeptic and need it grounded to sleep peacefully and not get into unnecessary discussions with people who barely understand the subject.
   
2. **Effectiveness of diagnostics** - I haven't encountered any data on how often diagnoses are invalidated. I read on Reddit (unfortunately, there are few better discussion places with a lot of content) that one girl had an ADHD diagnosis, took Adderall, and after about 2 years, it turned out it wasn't ADHD but some compulsive disorder. Is there any information on how many people with an ADHD diagnosis and prescribed treatment are misdiagnosed? It's known that in the USA, people sometimes stretch the truth to get Adderall, but I'm sure you understand my point and the essence of the matter.
   
3. **Dosage** - I have a bit of time left before my next appointment and wonder what I can do (but nothing stupid). My friend, for example, has 30mg CR in the morning and then has those on-demand Medikinet, which keeps him okay later in the day and doesn't cause sleep problems; he's considering switching to Concerta. From my psychiatrist, I basically got the information I already mentioned plus to avoid abusing alcohol. Is there anything I can change in these recommendations to not waste time? If I just take 30mg or 40mg in the morning (of course, gradually and checking the response weekly), am I exposing myself to any problems? I found out on my own that I won't die, but I'm interested in the effectiveness of this treatment, not messing around.
   
4. **A question completely omitted by the psychiatrist, and I didn't get any specific information, which is quite important to me**. In all the DIVA tests, I scored higher in adulthood than in childhood. In the last one, it came out as follows: Summary of symptoms according to DSM-5: I. Attention Deficit: Adulthood: 8/9, Childhood: 7/9 II. Hyperactivity and impulsivity: Adulthood: 9/9, Childhood: 8/9 III. Experienced symptoms are a source of significant problems, manifesting in at least 2 areas of life in both childhood and adulthood. After my own analysis, talking to my mom and sister, it's hard to deny that I had serious problems in areas affected by ADHD plus many “less obvious” symptoms that I learned about from PsychiatraPlus from Mr. Jóźwiak (thanks God he records because books and articles in Poland on the internet are often a disaster) in quite significant intensity. I'm still afraid of cognitive bias and fitting the situation to the thesis.
   

I noticed an increase in many symptoms attributed to ADHD after 2022 (when my father committed suicide, which involved PTSD therapy because I saw a lot, plus a depressive episode). Before, I might have had 2-3 such severe depressive episodes. I skimmed through (I emphasize because I might have missed something that would answer my question, and I don't want to appear lazy coming for a free ready-made solution) meta-analyses (The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based Conclusions about the Disorder). This fragment intrigued me: "ADHD is rarely caused by a single genetic or environmental risk factor, but most cases of ADHD are caused by the combined effects of many genetic and environmental risks, each having a very small effect."
This, of course, suggested a possible scenario - a father with ADHD + trauma could have exacerbated my symptoms, hence now they are more noticeable to me than before, although it resonates more with me that conditions, tasks, and challenges I face have changed. I didn't observe myself in this regard before; I didn't have the knowledge; I attributed my failures to a different “legend” (I wasn't taught consequences, laziness, lack of discipline, if I tried harder, etc.) than ADHD. Obviously, I'm not so infantile as to expect someone to try to resolve this issue, but based on the current conclusive knowledge, how do you assess my line of thinking, does it hold together? Could I check anything else additionally?
To conclude, I know I need to find a good psychiatrist; I have one in mind, but it's pointless at this moment when I have prescriptions and "recommendations" to schedule and pay for a visit since I'll probably get not very in-depth answers (I also understand doctors don't have 2 hours to give a lecture on how and why things work), rather reassuring and "we'll observe." Whenever something stresses or confuses me, I just try to understand it, and when it turns out that my inherent skepticism activated unnecessarily, the problem disappears from the radar.
I hope someone will guide me to the right materials that will tell me a bit more about these issues. Once again, thank you in advance for any response and time spent just reading this post. If additional questions arise to provide a better answer, I am happy to respond.

Ok let me just run this down quick.
I believe looking at what I have so far for my first draft (20k words), I think I may have one strong and one weak inciting incident.
The first one happens within the first chapter. (Protagonist is drafted to war)
The second one happens at the end of Chapter 2. (Protagonist gets unknown powers)
Now the second inciting incident is the one the one I actually want to carry the story. The thing is, this element of the story isn’t affecting the protagonist until Chapter 7. And its not nesccarily going to carrying much weight in the plot until another chapter is completed(Beginning of Act 2)
Has anyone had this issue before? And if so, how have you managed to improve your incident when its not carrying the plot just yet?

Honestly the general reaction around Firefly beta testing so far has been very puzzling for many reasons while there are people for some reason attacking anyone having any sort of feedback which is the entire point of beta testing is for people to voice their opinions but personally the other side of the discussion is also very delusional and outright entitled if I am being honest people keep comparing her to Boothill in the new single target favorite game mode and then be surprised when he acts better like hello !?!?! That's the entire point of him being a hunt while she's destruction he Excells in single target while she Excells in multi target situations and so far she does but people want the strong points of boothill without any downsides like team restrictions 1 she's a new character with an unexplored niche yet and she is made to be paired with HMC so she needs him to function which I don't understand the downside of since they're a free unit ? Like DHIL pretty much needs sparkle or else his damage falls considerably and DHIL mains don't complain as much although she's a gacha unit not a free one you get by just playing so I don't understand the point of issue here so it just seems very unreasonable most of the time because complaints are things like "She has downtime " "She needs HMC" "Her damage is weak when enemies aren't broken"
Which are just things about her that's obvious because she's a break damage scaler like they want the good parts without any downsides
Every character has a power investments part of their kit that needs to be down so other parts are strong her damage is amazing so she needs preparation and proper team building and some downtime to her dps
I am a fan of constructive criticism and she seems like she might need some quality of life improvements but everyone is ignoring it cause they just want her to do 8299million damage every turn while gaining a skill point with no teammates or buffs which in the end will make the real criticism go unheard and we will end up with neither updates to her kit because remember she's still in beta stage 2 if I remember correctly which means she will mostly likely go through a lot of changes so use that to voice actual complaints
Anyways rant over feel free to reply with what you think and if you read allat I appreciate you ❤️

If you're not privy, "enshittification" refers to the seemingly inevitable practice of a company shifting focus away from satisfying its base and more towards maximizing profits at the expense of the base. Simply, compare your current experiences with Uber or social media to 10 years ago.
Considering how pervasive this pattern is, are we not scared of what this means for private practice clinicians in this era of Alma and Headway? Is enshittification not likely to happen among these digital therapy platforms? If/when this happens, what would that look like for us? Are we not concerned that we're shooting ourselves and our industry in the foot for short-term financial gain?
I'm just skeptical about the long-term benefits of these platforms. Alma and Headway are startups—businesses that are incentivized to gain the trust and loyalty of a base in order to then maximize profits grow. Upon some research, I can't find what's protecting us from eventually being taken advantage of in the near future. Of course, a major concern is giving influence to companies who truly don't have our best interests.
Regarding independent negotiation with insurance companies, I don't know what the answer is for us to get fairer pay. I strongly suspect that the answer isn't depending on a startup company for this to happen.
I'm hoping my suspicions stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of what's going on. What do you guys think?

This is a mindset I feel like I've seen more and more of over time, especially as anime adaptations have become more frequent and widespread. This belief that fans of a series who only consume that series through the anime adaption are generally more positive because they tend not to think about the series as critically as those who consume the series through the manga. They don't analyze the story or characters past the surface level, they're just interested in pretty animation and the barest bones of a competent story.
The exceptions, of course, are when it's a bad adaptation, as the anime fans will be more critical and for good reason, ranging from anime like Naruto, with its incredibly stretched out pacing, to Rising of the Shield Hero, which sanded off a lot of the main character's edge and anger and as such made him more generic, to Rosario+Vampire, which decided it didn't need interesting plot and character development when it could have panty shots instead.
While I get why this mentality exists and can sometimes even see the points those with it make, ultimately it often just feels like some people trying to justify a conclusion they've already come to.
There's more than one possible explanation for why anime-only fans are typically more positive than the manga readers, not the least of which being how absolutely f**king enormous the audience for anime in general is even compared to the audience for manga. Considering there are absolutely people who read manga and don't think critically about it, it's completely possible the ratio of those who do and those who don't is exactly the same between manga and anime, there's just more people overall in the anime circle. Of course the number of people who don't think critically about anime is greater than those who do think critically about manga, because anime's audience is way larger overall. You could likely also make the exact same argument that there are more people who think critically about anime than there are of those who think critically about manga.
I also can't help but feel this view is slightly based in the mindset that cynicism is proof of intelligence while positivity is proof of a lack thereof. If person is positive about a product it must be because they just don't have the capacity to see all the problems with it, rather than perhaps those problems not actually being that big a deal or that what they're positive about the series for has its own share of depth.
I also can't help but notice the theory insists that anime-only fans are more positive because they don't think critically about what they're consuming, that they're too casual to it, yet rarely do I so the opposite theory despite it having just as much a possibility of being true; that the manga-readers are typically more negative because they sometimes become TOO fixated on the material, to the point they end up overblowing what problems the material has beyond what they actually are. The rate at which they consume the material probably doesn't help much either. Most manga tends to be a chapter a week to a chapter a month, while on average most anime tends to be an episode a week, with each episode being roughly three chapters of the manga.
Manga readers will spend an entire week, if not more, fixated on a small piece of the story while the anime watchers will have been given a larger chunk to think and talk about. One is judging small pieces of the story as their own complete thing while the anime watchers are able to better see how everything fits and flows together.
I'm not trying to argue that anime or manga are better than each other, nor that one audience is inherently better or smarter than the other. What I am saying is that "Anime-only fans are generally more positive because they don't think about the material as critically as manga readers." just sounds like some bullcrap some people came up with so that they could feel superior to others.
"These anime watchers like this thing I didn't. Well, clearly it's because I actually read the manga. I actually used my brain and invested myself in more than just the pretty moving pictures. That's the only thing an anime-only fan cares about."

PC
Reddit Account: FromTheInkpot
Discord Tag: jayonline
Name and House: Tessario of Lys
Age: 28
Cultural Group: Valyrian
Appearance: Taller than the average man, with slender and effeminate features. His skin is pale, his hair consists of curled white locks and his eyes are a vivid lilac. He favours black leathers with silver accents, and often adds coloured silks as sashes, belts, or capes. On the middle finger of his left hand he wears a signet ring of black steel and gold, used to seal letters from the Pearl Bank.
Trait: Marketer
Skill(s): Avaricious (e), Merchantman (e), Broker
Talent(s): Linguistics, Arithmetic, Reading People
Negative Trait(s): Sociopath (non-mechanical)
Starting Title(s): Keyholder of the Pearl Bank, Heir to the blood of Altaerys (secret)
Starting Location: Opening Event
Alternate Characters: N/A
Bio:
Born in the year 4BC, Tessario was the son of a Lyseni courtesan and a nobleman of the Old Blood who had left for the Black Walls of Volantis before he even knew of the child.
Growing up in Lys, Tessario was raised by his mother in a small manse where she would teach him lessons learnt from the courts of the free city.
Since his mother first spoke to him tales of Valyria and dragon riders, Tessario was enthralled.
His bloodline was of the forty families, from one of the few dragonlords on Lys during the 'Night of Tears', when the dragonlords had been poisoned and their dragons slain by their very hosts - the magisters. That the dragon rider had been his ancestor was his family's deepest secret and one that could have seen them killed in generations past.
The knowledge that the dragon riders of old were his very ancestors was almost too much for the young boy to keep secret. Especially now, when dragons had waged conquest on Westeros' shores so recently. But while the Targaryen's were said to wed brother to sister to keep their bond with the dragons strong, his family had not had a dragon rider in five generations. Since then his family's bloodline - the house of Altaerys, thought lost in the Doom of Valyria and the Century of Blood since, had become clouded with the Old Blood of Volantis during their occupation of Lys. And before that, diluted among the courts of Lys the Lovely, where none truly knew or at least none spoke of how much dragon blood they had. It was clear most of Lys had some. The features of silver-blond or white hair and the eyes of pale blue or shades of purple were all too common. The city was truly Valyrian. Who knew how many dragonlords' legacies his blood carried now?
Tessario, with his pure Valyrian blood and features to match, had the fiery will of his ancestors but an uncommonly pragmatic mind. As he grew, so did his keen mind, picking up his numbers and letters faster than other boys his age.
Raised in the turbulence of a city still reeling from the uprising against Volantis, Tessario learnt how violent people could be at a young age. Surrounded by the cruelties of slavery, he grew up numbed to the hardships of others.
By nine name-days he would begin visiting the Temple of Trade where he and other boys would talk with the magisters and tradesmen who congregated there. From among these wealthy and noble men of the city, he and a lucky few others, would gain apprenticeships; a position that was highly coveted in the city of Lys, where trade was considered a profession more honorable than arms.
Tessario shadowed his sponsor for three years, learning the inner workings of trade negotiations, currency exchange, and contract creation. He met several other apprentices who like him hungered for more, as well as making friends among the less prominent families of Lys all too keen to climb the social ladder. So, when his apprenticeship was over they formed a merchantile group of ambitious youths. Tessario and the others began with insurance cons and profitable arbitrage that filled their pockets and funded bigger schemes.
The war in the Stepstones came as a wondrous opportunity for the newly founded group. The members invested heavily, with some overseeing the battles themselves. Luckily the Lysene forces met up with not only those of Tyrosh, but also ships from Dorne and the Stormlands. Tessario wore armour for the first time as he sailed sellswords to the fighting, though did no more than watch in actuality. War made them rich and for the first time in his life Tessario knew what it was to wield true power. The power to make others die for your ends.
The pirate threat crumbled easily, but the true prizes were had after the fighting. Contracts for trade opened up and new ports to invest in saw the merchantile group grow faster than ever before. They hired lingering hedge knights and sellswords to protect their assets and even convinced some of the former pirate vessels to become corsairs under them.
As the Stepstones begin to flourish, the group started to look further afield for other trade routes. In 18AC, just as Dorne began to invest heavily in Sunstone, Tessario sailed to Driftmark as one of three emissaries of their group tasked with finding new avenues for profit. It was while on this mission that Tessario first met Valarr Velaryon, Lord of the Tides. Seeking a base of operations outside of Lys, Tessario negotiated plans for a bank to be built in Spicetown, profiting from the flow of trade.
Tessario broached the concept to the group telling them of the pearls found by fishermen in the pools of the island's coves and a contract for the Pearl Bank was drawn up. Tessario, as one of the two-and-twenty key holders, was now responsible for much.
Construction began in late 19AC with a main building that was reinforced with strong stone and deep vaults. Pearl farms under the control of the bank were also created, with construction of the entire project finishing before the end of 24AC. During this time the bank engaged in numerous amounts of trade, amassing a full vault, as well as funding loans to the many growing businesses of Spicetown, merchants of the free cities, and other Houses of Westeros. This includes House Massey of Stonedance, House Celtigar of Claw Isle, and many other minor houses.
Timeline:

• 4BC - Tessario is born in a Lysene manse.
• 6AC - Begins a trade apprenticeship for three years.
• 9AC - Forms a merchantile group in Lys.
• 12AC - Funds the war in the Stepstones.
• 13AC - War in the Stepstones ends.
• 18AC - Visits Driftmark as an emissary, meeting Valarr Velaryon.
• 19AC - The Pearl Bank begins construction.
• 24AC - Construction is completed.
• 25AC - Current day.

Family tree:
https://familyecho.com/?p=START&c=izpgpsokcmwmhxa6&f=478495015333730745
AC
Name and House: Somovo Saan
Age: 21
Cultural Group: Valyrian
Appearance: Piercing blue eyes shine out from dark features. Somovo has a lean build and freckled face from years of sailing the Narrow and Summer Seas. Her skin is dark and her hair falls in long brown curls down past her shoulders, the occasional braid holding beads of copper. She often wears loose shirts and wide breeches that allow her skin to breathe the salty air of the sea, while sticking to practical leather boots for moving about the deck.
She has a slender black cat named Sȳndor 'shadow' that lives on deck and prowls the bank offices while on shore.
Trait: Reaver
Skill(s): Raider, Fence, Tactician
Talent(s): Winning at Tiles, Tying knots, Swimming
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Captain of the Spice Runner
Starting Location: Opening Event
Alternate Characters: N/A
Timeline:

• 4AC - Somovo Saan is born in Lys.
• 9AC - Somovo's father, Sarthos Saan, takes her on her first voyage to Tyrosh.
• 12AC - Her father leaves to fight for the pirates in the Stepstones war.
• 13AC - After the pirates defeat in the Steptones, her father is hired by a group of merchants from Lys. Somovo meets Tessario, one of the groups founders.
• 18AC - Meets the sellsail Captain Laurei of Myr who becomes an inspiration for her to become a Captain of her own ship.
• 19AC - When the Pearl Bank begins construction on Driftmark, Somovo is on deck with her father and they patrol the Narrow Sea together, guarding trading vessels and seeking opportunities for their new employer.
• 21AC - Somovo is given command of her own ship and crew, becoming Captain of The Spice Runner, named after Spicetown.
• 22AC - Her father's ship is lost at sea during a storm near Volantis. The corsairs previously under Sarthos turn to her for leadership by virtue of her blood.
• 24AC - Construction of The Pearl Bank is completed on Driftmark.
• 25AC - Current day.

NPCs
Morio (30) - Cutthroat
Every man of ambition needs a ruthless and silent right hand.
Ser Thomas Storm (27) - Warrior
Knighted by Ser Edwell Celtigar in the Stepstones and knowing he would gain no further gold or glory, he joined the merchantile group from Lys to train their retainers and act as Captain of the Guard to Tessario.
Since then he notably won the joust at the Tourney at Aegon's Rest in 21AC.

Seriously? Did I really just ask that question? Still, I am somehow now in a club I didn't want to join (and didn't even know existed) and am having to adjust to this new reality where perhaps such questions are not that all unusual.
By way of background/introduction I started to get some heel pain around six months ago - hard to know exactly when as it was so seemingly insignificant and uneventful - and rolling on a few months happened to take up running. Absolutely loved this new hobby - massive regrets I hadn't started running earlier in life (I'm in my late 40s now). Anyway, the issue that I eventually understood to be PF was still present and whilst it wasn't a problem during running I noticed things were gradually getting worse just in general. I kept running though because I was still loving it, did a few organised events etc, constant improvements in pace, but eventually the PF became such a big issue I had to stop. Not just running, but for a few days walking too.
So here we are six months on and I've trawled through what feels like just shy of six thousand web pages and videos and reached the point of concluding that my somewhat previously-sedentry lifestyle (desk job, home-based for the past few years) have led to an inflexible and weak lower body with my feet - and PF in particular - taking on loads it didn't have capacity for. Strengthening is my goal, or route to my goal anyway.
So, to the question, I am finding that in an attempt to be gentle and kind to my feet I am putting a lot of conscious effort into how I walk. Too much effort perhaps as I think my 'self preservation' mindset is leading to an altered gait that is now putting too much demand on other parts of the kinetic chain. Walking has become tiring, both mentally and physically. I am finding it I try to relax a bit more then everything loosens up but it is easier said than done, not least that it doesn't take long before I sense twinges in my heel that could be down to hypersensitivity i.e. my mind is expecting it to hurt therefore the smallest of nerve signals is being interpreted as 'ALERT! PF is literally tearing! Activate risk mitigation mode now!'. Another thing that seems to help is simply stopping for a few moments then restarting. It's as if this is giving my brain the opportunity to reset the gait and put a stop to a style that wouldn't look out of place on Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks skit. Can anyone else relate? Any tips?

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – May 16, 2024 – According to a recently published report from Dell’Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the telecommunications, security, networks, and data center industries, preliminary findings reveal that the Radio Access Network (RAN) market is still struggling after the peak in 2022. The results in the first quarter were exceptionally weak, underpinned by poor results across most suppliers. Preliminary findings suggest that the overall 2G-5G RAN market—including baseband plus radio hardware and software, excluding services—declined 15 to 30 percent in 1Q 2024, resulting in a third consecutive quarter of double-digit contractions.
“It’s difficult to find a silver lining in the first quarter,” said Stefan Pongratz, Vice President and analyst at the Dell’Oro Group. “We’ve been monitoring the RAN market since the year 2000, and the contraction experienced in the first quarter marked the steepest decline in our entire history of covering this market. In addition to the known coverage related challenges that the market is dealing with when comps in the advanced 5G markets are becoming more challenging, there are now serious concerns about the timing of the capacity upgrades given current network utilization levels and data traffic growth rates,” continued Pongratz.
Additional highlights from the 1Q 2024 RAN report:

• Middle East and Africa are growing, Latin America is stable, and the remaining regions, including North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific declined sharply in 1Q 2024.
• Vendor rankings remain stable while vendor shares are shifting. In the first quarter, Huawei’s 4QT (four quarter trailing) revenue share improved relative to 2023 while Nokia lost some ground over the same period.
• The top 5 RAN suppliers based on worldwide revenues are Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE, and Samsung.
• Growth projections have been revised slightly downward over the short term. Global RAN is now projected to decline 5 to 8 percent in 2024.

https://www.delloro.com/news/ran-market-still-a-disaste
COMMENT: Nokia's Mobile Networks guides for 2024 net sales of -10% to -15% and a comparable operating margin of 1% to 4%. For Network Infrastructure the 2024 guidance for sales is +2% to +8% and for the margin 11.5% to 14.5%. Actually MN no longer is the largest business group, NI was larger in q1 with sales of €1,662M while MN had sales of €1,577M.
Thus MN is currently in deep trouble partly due to very adverse market conditions and in part because of AT&T's decision to replace Nokia in its network to the benefit of Ericsson. The bright spot is that Nokia's three other business groups are delivering and thus Nokia's midpoint guidance means Nokia's comparable EPS will grow this year to appr. €0.34 from last year's €0.29. Now Nokia needs to keep doing its maximum to keep up the sales growth momentum in non-operator enterprise so as to reach overall growth and a more attractive operating margin. Enterprise sales growth was 16% in 2023 whereas the q1 report said the following:
"The first quarter also saw weak demand from Enterprise but this is expected to improve in the second quarter as new projects start to ramp up. Enterprise net sales decreased 21% in constant currency in Q1 2024. This was in comparison to a very strong year-ago quarter, particularly with webscale customers, as net sales from these customers remain lumpy. Order intake was strong, particularly in Cloud and Network Services, supported by demand for private wireless solutions. Private wireless continued to show solid growth in the quarter and now has more than 730 customers."

After a lot of searching I've been offered the ability to be a commission only, self employed sales rep for a company that sells professional high quality scissors and tools to hairdressing professionals.
I'm a little anxious about starting, I've done all the research, read the books like Fanatical Prospecting. Have applied to 50+ sales jobs and refined my pitch to finally land this. Now I have I'm terrified at the idea upending my life in such a huge way again. I have a full day training on the products next week and I'll finally get to meet the boss in person.
Any advice? The type of products im selling mean it's a pretty short sales cycle. Commission is 15% before taxes, I'm free to focus my effort on a mix of prospecting methods, phone is going to be important, as is doing the whole door-to-door to all the high street salons. They are a new business, based in France, only 2 reps at the moment. I've read online 15% commission is good, but I'm doing the maths in my head (not my strong suit) and I'm thinking 300,000 euros of sales for me to get 45.000 a year before taxes and all? Is that realistic and sustainable selling scissors and combs? They are providing me with a list of all the businesses (salons, schools, independent hairdresser, dog groomers) in my area, but it's all cold leads so I'll be making first contact.
They want a security check to cover the cost of the equipment they are providing, only to be cashed if it doesn't work out and I don't return the stuff. I'll make sure that there is something in the contract about it.
What do you guys think about the opportunity, I'm not exactly swimming in offers so unless something comes up really quick I'm going for it, full throttle. What would you do to be successful? Also, it doesn't seem like they have a specific CRM they want us to use so I'm looking for something, free ideally, to get started with. Thanks guys.