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I've been in practice over 13 years. Spent the first 5 prosecuting and have been a contracted public defender with a private practice in criminal and family law for the last 8. I love public defense and private criminal defense. But I am spun the fuck out on family law. All of my adversarial skills that serve me so well in criminal work do nothing but destroy families in divorce cases. It's all wrong. Litigation is the absolute WRONG way to handle divorce, especially with kids involved. It's not our fault as attorneys, our job is to zealously advocate for our client. But that equates to ramping up the already heated parties in a divorce to war level anger. To where these people are spending $8000 in litigation fees over who is going to pay for the $80 cleats and $45 soccer ball (actual case of mine). Yeah it lines my pocket, but I feel like shit. Trials are the absolute worst. Even if my client "wins" what did we win? Oh, ok, we've succeeded in totally alienating the kid to hate Parent A and take Parent B's side. That kid is gonna grow up to have horrible habits/views/beliefs for his own marriage and children. After GAL visits and in camera interviews these poor kids are so traumatized and stuck in the middle, all because I filed the motions to place them there! Because my client promised the kid would talk shit about dad if I got him in front of the judge and the GAL. And little Johnny did just what mom's been programming him to do! (Flip the roles, the dad's are just as bad at brain washing kids). It doesn't feel good. It feels like shit. Mediation is a court ordered thing in my rural area. It's looked down on by the parties as extra money they have to spend before they can get to the courtroom to hammer the fuck out of each other. Because they believe that's what divorce is. Taking the relationship they had and destroying it. I took a mediation course from a tier one school and it has changed my life. My whole perspective. If it's done right mediation can change the game in family law. And if collaborative law is used by family law practitioners then it opens up something that can revolutionize family and divorce court. There are zero collaborative law practitioners in my entire geographic location. The nearest one is over 200 miles away. I will be the first in my area. And I have talked another attorney in the area into learning the collaborative process and doing this with me. So, next week I am shuttering my family law litigation practice and opening a mediation/collaborative law practice. For those of you familiar with this area, how is it going for you? Do you find that people will come to mediation even if it's not court ordered if word gets around that it works better than litigation? Those in the collaborative law realm, what has your experience been like? Do you get push back from those that want to keep litigation as the de facto way to practice family law? Looking for any perspectives as this is such a foreign concept in my neck of the woods. Thanks!!

Me: Wouldn't it be fun to wait to post this in the summer so you can say happy Christmas in July for once? Also me: that's a terrible joke. Just publish the thing.
Apologies for publishing in 2 parts. I'm not trying to drag it out I'm just aware this is the length of 2 episodes, reddit will only allow me 20 pics per post, and there's just too much going on for our beloved idiot in this one, so. I'm pacing myself.
It's not Christmas in July, it's Christmas 1919 at Downton and I spent an embarrassing amount of time wondering if Mr Fellowes really wants me to believe that the Crawleys decorated the Goliath of Christmas trees themselves (they didn't, but I like that Mary was sipping her tea and offering her view on things. Queen👑 ).
Plus, the setup for this episode intro had an actual checklist:
Tree? Check
Family arriving? Check
Violet judging this year's Christmas cards and looking for the contenders for worst cards of the year (they judge them on both content, and actual card)? Check
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Anna gets a gold heart brooch from Mary and Mrs Hughes is as excited about it as she is. Also, I can see the inspo for the entire Anna/Mary tag on AO3 right here. And Mrs Hughes ships it.
Just kidding, Bates is in prison, and we're all very sad.
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Carlisle is wondering why the Crawleys are being kind to their servants by letting them have some time off at lunchtime on Christmas Day, and I'm wondering if anyone (namely, us, the viewers) is supposed to be surprised by his behaviour.
I mean, blackmailing Lavinia just because? Blackmailing Mary into an engagement with him? Trying to manipulate Anna and Carson? Being physically abusive to Mary, and trying to control her life and behaviour? Bringing Lavinia back to "sacrifice" her to a lifetime as Matthew's nurse, so Mary won't spend that much time with Matthew (not because there was something off about that, just that Carlisle didn't want her to)?
He is an asshole. He was an asshole. He will always be an asshole. Glad we're finally all on the same page.
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Matthew and Mary are exchanging presents behind Robert's head in one scene and I'm very upset by it. Please, if anyone has any ideas, submit what you think they got each other for Christmas.
If you need any inspiration, here's what people would buy each other as presents in the 1920s according to the British Newspaper Archives:
Lots of cigarette paraphernalia Cocktails Banjos PENCILS Dance Frocks Shaving Kits Vacuum Cleaners
Keep that list in mind if you're disappointed with your presents next year.
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Matthew got a telephone call telling him that Mr Swire is very ill, and he will got to London to visit him. Mary gives him some condolences and he says "I'm sorry if I'm casting a gloom". I have a feeling the poor man had been pretty depressed for quite long, probably perked up a bit for Christmas and thought he was bringing the mood down again, but Mary responds with compassion. Oh Matthew.
Carlisle saw Mary go after Matthew in the hall, to ask about Mr Swire, and literally took his newspaper with him and followed her out there because that's completely normal behaviour. Just picture the ridiculousness of it: Mary and Matthew talking about Mr Swire and Bates' trial, romantic themes that they are, and Carlisle is so annoyed by it he's standing there in the background. Reading a newspaper, just to make sure they know he's still around (who could forget, mate).
Also, Mary saying she'll attend Bates' trial to support Anna, and Matthew immediately going "Would you like me to go with you?". Because of course he wants to support Mary in all things.
And this is Matthew's first villainous act for the episode: He asks Carlisle "or will YOU do that?" as in, since you're here, will you be supporting Mary in this endeavour.
Of course he isn't. Carlisle could never understand the concept of being there as emotional support for a Servant. He can't even understand why one would give a servant a few hours off on Christmas Day.
And just like that, Matthew scores one point in showcasing that Carlisle is a waste of space.
Matthew's Villainy points so far: 1
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Btw, Matthew has a few sets of looks reserved for Carlisle: Derision, derision, and more derision.
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They're playing charades (aka The Game), Mary is mimicking falling down, Matthew has a front row seat to it, and they're not playing on the same team so she can't rely on him to guess. Which means he can sit back and have the time of his life.
Carlisle complains about not liking the game and I'm left to wonder why he wanted that life so much since he could find nothing to enjoy in it.
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Mary IS still trying with him, however. He complains again on New Years Eve about the servants having some time off, and she reasons that it only happens twice a year, and he complains again that she doesn't understand because she didn't have to work for what she has.
Fellowes finally does the work on these two. I was having a conversation with another user recently, who was wondering why Mary picked Carlisle when she could have picked someone like Evelyn Napier.
Let's forget the Pamuk Scandal for a moment. Mary clearly wanted something more other than a traditional marriage. When we meet her, she's 21. She already has a husband in her pocket, if all she wanted was a position in society and a title, she'd have already been married to Patrick in 1912. But clearly, she wanted more out of life than to be someone's wife.
She wanted love, and she wanted to have something to do, whatever that was. She would have found both in Matthew, if things hadn't gone to complete shit, so why not consider Carlisle (back when he seemed normal)?
He was a working, self-made man, so he was interesting to her. He wasn't the run-of-the-mill rich boy she'd been exposed to her entire life, and if she married him she'd have a job in establishing him in London society and helping him build his empire. She'd Work, in short. She'd be allowed to use her brain.
But they don't match. At all. He offered her a marriage of convenience, and then was upset that she loved someone else, when Carlisle never offered her love in the first place. She wanted to be able to go about her life, he wanted her under his thumb to do his bidding. She was raised to have a certain respect for other people (e.g. the servants in the house), he thought that because he had money he could do whatever the fuck he wanted.
In short, they don't work together. Not even taking into account he was blackmailing her with a scandal, and Matthew was off stage left being Villainous (according to Carlisle. Villain, Perseus, it's all a matter of perspective.)
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I love how they contrast Carlisle's ruthlessness with Matthew's compassion (and look how she looks up to him). Because Matthew is also a working man, but he's kind. And even though he didn't have any connection to mr Swire anymore, he stood by him in his hour of need, to the bitter end.
Speaking of contrasting Carlisle's assholery to Matthew:
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Rosamund's WhatsHisFace of a suitor points out there's only three women following the shoot, and they should divide their time between the men taking part in said shoot (God forbid women are not around to entertain these assholes gents). Carlisle immediately rebuffs him before Mary can get a word in, saying "Lady Mary will stand by ME". Mary is about to, very politely, put him in his place, when Matthew comes in for his second act of Villainy so far, saying "I thought you said you'd stand by me for the first shoot, isn't that what you said?"
He doesn't push her to go with him, he's just giving her an exit plan. So that Mary doesn't have to bring herself in an awkward position in front of all those people, to defend her right to an opinion. And Mary takes it. Of course she does. She can show Carlisle he doesn't get to dictate what she does, and do so in a way that doesn't create gossip.
Matthew's Villainy points so far: 2
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Look how he looks at her. He's so happy she took him up on it. Whatever else happened beyond this, they were friends. He cared for her, and she cared for him. And he has her back here, and she accepted it, so easily. And that made him happy (and so, so smug. A true Villain).
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She loves how un-selfconscious he is. She's always loved it, all those years ago at the flower show when he'd mock himself for her benefit, to make her laugh. He does it here still but now she's not surprised by it, just endlessly fond. Dozens of men spent years showing off their (probably mediocre) skills, to win her favour, and of course she'd fall for the guy who was just being honest. Mary likes honesty, she never got much of it. Her world is a show of mirrors where nothing is what it seems, and it must have been so refreshing to be with someone who was exactly what he showed the world. It's only sad that it took her so long to realise that just as she loved him for who he was, he'd do the same. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
"He does rather beg to be teased" - this asshole has been deliberately messing with Carlisle for ages, hasn't he. I've only counted 2 Villainy points, but I bet he earned himself dozens before. Whenever he'd get pissed off at something Carlisle said he'd just whisk Mary away, just to show him that he could, even if Carlisle was the fiance, Matthew was still an important person in her life, and he'd always be, and he made sure Carlisle knew that (and took great, great enjoyment in it).
Mary: The awful truth is, he’s starting to get on my nerves. Still, you’re not the person to burden with that.
Matthew: You’re still going to marry him, though.
Mary: Of course. Why wouldn’t I.
Matthew is not happy about this. He appears to not understand it, and I wish I could give him a a nice shake. Regardless of the information he doesn't have, Matthew, mate, it's not like she hasn't met other men. Like it or not, most of your lot back in the day belonged in the bin.
And Mary, as a high-society woman, didn't have a lot of options. She had to get married. And at least Carlisle wanted to buy Haxby, she'd be near her family, spend time in London. Before she'd have hoped to actually get some work done, within the capacity her marriage would allow her, but with things being as they are with Carlisle I think she's now hoping he'd be busy with his work and she could get on with her days and maybe not see much of him, as most couples of their class did. And that's not taking into account the actual reason why Mary thinks she absolutely Must marry Carlisle.
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Also, Matthew, let's not pretend you'd like any man she brought home. So either take a deep breath and confess some things, or get on with it.
Carlisle asks Mary why she and Matthew were laughing together. He asks "Am I never to be free of him?" and her answer is, of course not. Because, of course not. First of all, sorry to say Richard, but, they're a package deal.
I can't see either one of them giving up the other willingly, not after all this. But of course, the main thing is the aristocracy thing. He's the head of the family, you'll see A Lot of Matthew, if you and Mary get married. And Matthew has spent almost every minute of the episode so far making sure Richard knows this. One would say, he's trying to push him out (like a villain), through his sheer presence in Mary's life.
"I might understand if you let me think for a solitary minute that you preferred my company to his."
Here's another problem: He should know, this wasn't part of their terms. Of course, he's not an aristocrat, so he's not aware of how loveless marriages of convenience work, but since it WAS a loveless marriage of convenience he was offering, I wonder why THE FUCK, he demands her attention now.
Mary would perform her duty to him. She'd be the best hostess London ever saw. She'd be the pretty wife on his arm, and she'd charm his contacts, and she'd be the stepping stone for him to be accepted in aristocratic circles, and she'd give him children and hold his house. And yes, she'd love spending time with her family, and that included Matthew.
Richard is just being a petty, controlling, fuck. Because he wants more than she's willing to offer, and he wants more than what he'd originally asked. So he, can shove it.
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Richard: I’ve done everything I can to please you.
Mary: Do you mean you bought a large and rather vulgar house?
Richard: You cannot talk to me like that! What have I done to deserve it? What?!
Would you like a list of your crimes, Richard? I've posted it a bit further above.
Also, Mary. She was hoping he'd offer her an interesting life (before he turned out to be an asshole). But all he's offered so far is the same old bullshit she's been offered all her life: A big empty (emotionless) house.
A demanding husband. A life full of constraints and limitations, set to her by a husband who expects to dictate everything she does.
It's at this point that Matthew, clearly the villain of the story, shows up because he hears Richard yelling at Mary and that just won't do.
My beloved idiot covers for Richard here. And she does it because of something she said to Matthew before "He's starting to get on my nerves, but you're not the person to burden with that."
She doesn't want Matthew to feel like he has to come to her rescue. She heard him, when he told her they can't be together (many times) in the previous episodes. And she loves him, so she's let him be. She knows he's got his own troubles, that he's been through a lot, and that shows with how she watches him walk away with a fair bit of worry in her eyes. Plus, she doesn't want him to do anything for her out of obligation. She just wants them to be friends, and friends don't solve your marital (or, in this case, pre-marital) problems. They can provide comedic relief, and support, but that's about it.
And as we said, Matthew is clearly the villain of this story.
Speaking of which, Matthew interrupted Richard's yelling at Mary so, I guess that means - Matthew's Villainy points so far: 3
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Speaking of friends: Matthew will be there, for Mary (and Anna) at Bates' trial, and Mary asks to be there when he brings back Mr Swire's ashes, since the man wanted to be buried next to his daughter (who had to be buried at Downton, and not near her home in London, for maximum guilt-trip points I guess).
I love how those two care, and support each other in difficult times. It IS what friends do. Of course, Carlisle is not happy about that either. And listen, if he was in love with Mary, I'd be very understanding. I'd be telling him to cut his losses and run. I'd be empathising. But I'm like, you've been an absolute tool for years now mate, how am I supposed to see your POV, when you're basically worrying that if those two, at some point, get their heads out of their asses and realise they make a great couple, you'll lose your trophy wife you've trapped in a marriage, through sheer luck (on your end).
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Carlisle, after that entire day of watching Mary and Matthew having a nice time out with the family, pressures Mary to set a wedding date. Mary wants to wait, I guess she hopes for some godly intervention because she definitely doesn't see any other way out of her current situation, and he goes so far as to literally grab her, and in front of her family too.
I'm finally not the only one who wants to shoot him dead. Of course, Robert won't do anything about it because when has Robert ever done anything for Mary (so far), but Matthew looks tempted.
(I had to cut out poor Carson because there's too many people on this frame as it is, but shout out to him for also worriedly watching in the background).
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Matthew: Mary. Can I help?
Mary: After today, I won’t insult you by asking what you mean.
Matthew: You don’t have to marry him, you know. You don’t have to marry anyone. You’ll always have a home here as long as I’m alive.
First of all, I LOVE, that his reaction was to ignore Carlisle, run after Mary, and ask her if he can help. He's not offering to be a saviour. Mary doesn't need one of those (she does need to find that steel in her spine though). But he's offering to support her, and he says it in a way that implies he'd do pretty much anything she asked (Do you want to poison him? I'll help carry him to the pigs pen).
Second of all, Matthew, you absolute Idiot.
Mary supporting you in your grief, you supporting her with Bates' trial, that's normal friend behaviour.
You telling her she can LIVE with you forever, and so she doesn't have to Marry Any Man, is so, so dumb.
What is she going to live with you as, Matthew? Your cousin again? Where is the cousinl-y behaviour line drawn? Private dinners? Maybe with some candles and soft music? Holidays in Europe together?
Also, where is that imaginary limit you've put to your happiness with her for the sake of Lavinia's (very real, according to canon) ghost, mate?
You clearly seem happy enough to spend time with Mary, support her, laugh with her. Is it just the romance that's killing your mood?
Is it that that's the harshest punishment Matthew could imagine, spending his life next to Mary without actually spending his life WITH her, or is it that in spite of how much he wanted to suffer for his mistake, he just couldn't bring himself to cut ties entirely? Or is it that her happiness was more important than his self-imposed martyrdom, so he couldn't keep himself away and let her throw away her life for God knows what (her own mistake, is the answer, because they both like making themselves suffer for past sins. They've got A LOT in common).
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Mary: Didn’t the war teach you never to make promises? And anyway, you’re wrong. I do have to marry him.
Matthew: But why? Not to prove you’ve broken with me, surely? We know where we stand. We’ve no need for...gestures.
Mary: If I told you the reason, you’d despise me, and that I really couldn’t bear.
She makes me so sad. She's so certain she'll be ruined and kicked out of her house if the scandal ever came out.
And I get it. It was how she'd been raised. And all she's heard so far is how she's "a slut" and "damaged goods" and Mary's self-image is in tatters. She doesn't view herself as anyone worth fighting for, she doesn't want anyone else to fight for her, and she won't even fight for herself, and to me that's the saddest part of all.
She's entirely defeated, has been for a long time. This entire season. She's taken every blow and hasn't dodged them at all. Welcoming Lavinia, accepting Matthew as a friend and nothing more. Being by his side when he got injured, taking care of him and accepting his rejection without a peep. Listening to him announce his wedding and helping Lavinia plan it. Baring herself to Carlisle, giving him "the tools to destroy her", willingly, to salvage the family name, and to help Bates. And later letting Matthew call her, and himself "cursed", and walking away from it, somehow. Probably because she believes it.
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She told Carson, after Pamuk died, that "she knows what it means to be happy, but she knows she herself will never be happy" and she has proved to have embraced that sentiment, fully. Her despair back then is reflected here. Mary is not looking for happiness. She's just looking for cover. Some place where she can be sure she won't be hurt anymore.
She didn't believe that would be in a marriage with Matthew, and Matthew's strict morals so far, and his own self-hatred, have only further proven to her that she had been correct. She thinks that if Matthew can't excuse himself a kiss with a woman he loved, he won't ever excuse her having sex with a man she didn't love. And for all the unhappiness, all the cold comfort she sees in her future, she at least has his friendship. And how could she ever risk losing that? What would she be left with? Who else is there in the world, that supports her like he has? Her mother, who brought back Lavinia to push her away from Matthew? Her father? Who values the family above all else? Nothing. And no one. Just Matthew.
So she can bear Carlisle's cruelty, his moods and his demands. And she can bear the thought of living life on his arm to be paraded around London society for his benefit. But she can't bear the thought of Matthew thinking ill of her. Can't bear having him look at her the way her mother, or her sister did. And she's so honest here in her pain. She hasn't shown any of it, of the backloads of it, to anyone other than Anna, all season. But she can't keep it in now, after all that, in front of Matthew.
My poor broken child 💔
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She hears Cora yell her name and there's despair in her eyes. Even now she has family obligations to fulfil, so whatever emotional breakthrough she could have made, gets interrupted because heaven forbid she's not there for the Crawleys to play card games with.
Before I forget, Matthew goes after Mary, hoping to help her in her hour of need therefore, Matthew's Villainy points so far: 4
Matthew directs that accusatory look to Cora and I'm so proud of him for that. Cora's involvement in Mary's life has been nothing short of catastrophic. With her only saving grace being the fact that she wasn't actually willing to throw her daughter out of her house. I don't know how she gets to be so worried about the situation now, considering it's, largely, of her own making.
This whole season has been about pain and loss, in its various forms. And Mary's has been largely contained, because that's who she is, she keeps everything close to her heart, especially the things that hurt her. But it's all spilling out in this episode. There's so many things she can't contain, like Carlisle's jealousy, her own grief, at this point, after so many years. And for all those who look, it's the most obvious thing in the world, that Mary is suffering.
Well. Almost all.
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Robert calls Carlisle grabbing Mary in front of her family "an awkward moment", and calls Mary "tired" of Carlisle.
Yes, Robert. Of all the things Mary is feeling at the moment, tiredness is one of them. Not sure if it's the most obvious one, but with you I've learned to bring a small basket.
He also, unlike Matthew, doesn't respect Mary enough to go up to her and ask her if she needs anything from, idk, her father. Some help, some advice. He asks his wife to tell him if he's overlooked anything, and how is the answer to that not "Pretty much everything that's ever happened in this house".
And at this point, I will leave you, because we're half way through and I've already hit both my word, and my image limit. The first one is self-imposed, for the second one, send your grievances @ reddit.

I'm trying to find an artist that has recently privated their YT account. I'm guessing they either no longer like their work or are embarrassed, but I'm really missing one of their remixes.
I'd like to pay them for a copy for personal listening.
I'm autistic and it helps me self-regulate, so having it very suddenly privated is distressing af and physically painful. If you have ND people in your life you'll know what I mean.
Seriously, I would prefer to contact this person and pay a disproportionate amount of money for a YT remix because it's worth that to me, or figure out how to access their privated remixes.
Please Reddit, do your thing.
https://m.youtube.com/c/BlizzyTheOctoling/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0

I really need advice about my job. School, work and socializing have always been hard for me as I’ve had undiagnosed ADHD up until about a year or so ago plus home schooling/private schools up until sophomore year of high school. So sheltered + very closed minded religious upbringing + undiagnosed ADHD. It’s been a little bit over a year since I’ve graduated college and started my first professional job. I’ll have worked at this job for almost 8 months now. I’m very reserved and typically don’t speak very much but once a conversation begins I can be very talkative. I was especially reserved going into this job as I didn’t want to step on any toes or cause any issues. Initially, I really enjoyed my job as my first impressions were everyone was really nice and the environment wasn’t super competitive. They were very laid back during the training process. However as time has gone on I’ve noticed very “clique” like behavior from all the employees. I’ve been ostracized from the group as I haven’t spoken to them much at all and just mind my business/do my job. I notice frequently that most of the team speak negatively about others while they’re not around and I’m assuming that this has happened with me as well. My reason for this is I’m very frequently spoken to aggressively and disrespectfully. The one that really stood out was someone I had never worked with before raised their voice at me, in front of everyone, after I asked them a question. The question being, what level of priority was the task she was wanting me to do for her. Additionally, I have had this similar issues with my direct supervisomy trainer. I’ve frequently requested feedback about my performance from the head of my department and my trainer. The negative feedback I’ve received has generally been very minor things such as making sure to update my trainer on which tasks I’m doing/when I’m doing them but it’s generally very positive, like I’m doing great and that my quality of work is great as well. However, the past couple of weeks my trainer has become increasingly agitated when communicating with me which has happened several times since I’ve been here. Typically, this is because of something I’m doing wrong. Such as, asking too many questions or forgetting something. Usually I handle this by scheduling performance reviews with her and telling her where I think I’m going wrong and providing a solution and asking her for her opinion on it. I do this because she does not handle conflict well/being told that something she is doing is wrong and the only way I’ve found to reduce her agitation is to figure it out myself. The problem I’m having is that I can’t figure out what the issue is this time. The three things that happened during this time that she’s been agitated with me is: 1.) her workload increased 2.) my work load increased 3.) I was working from home due to sickness for a while. My biggest hunch is that she had an issue with the fact I was working from home. I have an autoimmune disease which causes a lot of unexplained symptoms/illnesses to pop up every now and then so it’s relatively frequent that I’m not in office. Maybe once a month? This was the longest I had ever been out though. She was constantly asking me questions about what was going on with me added with some snide comments. She is not who people report to about call outs, etc. so the questions and comments didn’t sit with me well. I answered them anyways to be polite. Eventually, someone who I had not told started asking me questions as well and ended up making jokes about my situation which I was very unhappy about. I’ve heard my trainer complain when people don’t come in office and often throw out comments about how they’re probably faking it or they’re being dramatic by not coming in. So I’m wondering if that could be it? I really don’t know what I’ve actually done to these people for them to act this way. I’ve not shared much information about myself if any at all really and haven’t been hateful. I don’t expect everyone to like me as a person but I do expect for them to be cordial and respectful. At least in a professional type of job. Please help me figure out how I should handle all of this. I don’t want to quit until I stay long enough to have enough experience on my resume. I want to also be clear, this is my point of view so it sounds like I’m not at fault but I’m not a perfect worker or person, I mess up in my job, I am very forgetful and take a bit longer than most to master things. Things I can say for certain is that I try very hard to be good at this job, I have been kind to these people, and I own up to my mistakes when I make them and apologize. Also none of my mistakes have costed the company money so I’m not messing up that bad. Yet lol. I don’t know anyone who works in “corporate” type of jobs so I don’t know who to ask for advice on how to handle this. The people I do know are at work and due to the clique situation I’m scared to talk to anyone about it as I’m worried it might backfire. Any advice is helpful, I’m very lost here and just want to fix the situation.

my school wants to broadcast their morning announcements, but we were told that only school members are allowed to view it (therefore it cannot be public), ive tried unlisted streams, but we had problems with students sharing the link to non-school members.
i know that youtube allows private streams via inviting emails into the stream, but importing 1600+ people into the system always crashes/never sends the email (with the link) out, so i was wondering if there was a cap on how many people you can invite?
is there any other website that would be better for this or a better method?

I'm trying to find an artist that has recently privated their YT account. I'm guessing they either no longer like their work or are embarrassed, but I'm really missing one of their remixes.
I'd like to pay them for a copy for personal listening.
I'm autistic and it helps me self-regulate, so having it very suddenly privated is distressing af and physically painful. If you have ND people in your life you'll know what I mean. I've been crying for hours I am not okay
Seriously, I would prefer to contact this person and pay a disproportionate amount of money for a YT remix because it's worth that to me, or figure out how to access their privated remixes.
Please Reddit, do your thing.
https://m.youtube.com/c/BlizzyTheOctoling/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0

I'm trying to find an artist that has recently privated their YT account. I'm guessing they either no longer like their work or are embarrassed, but I'm really missing one of their remixes.
I'd like to pay them for a copy for personal listening.
I'm autistic and it helps me self-regulate, so having it very suddenly privated is distressing af and physically painful. If you have ND people in your life you'll know what I mean.
Seriously, I would prefer to contact this person and pay a disproportionate amount of money for a YT remix because it's worth that to me, or figure out how to access their privated remixes.
Please Reddit, do your thing.
https://m.youtube.com/c/BlizzyTheOctoling/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0

i am full on in breakdown and hysterics mode i am going to be SICK
They privated their entire account without warning and I need that song on an autistic level,
words do not word enough to communicate my full on fucking DESPAIR and hurt
does anyone know this person or how to reach them / nav wayback machine for their slowed & pitch shifted ver of Goddess by Cepheid
https://m.youtube.com/c/BlizzyTheOctoling/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0
I so far can't find a twt/X, insta, soundcloud, or spotify
I WOULD PAY MONEY jesus fuck just let.me pay them $20 for a copy. i just need to plug THAT song into my SKULL every so often to be normal
Please help me find them and pay them money
edit: I've also posted on music and helpmefind but I felt like this sub would best understand the incredible physical and emotional anguish I'm in right now i need that thing to self reg please give it back

I won't disclose its actual location, so if that's why you're here, sorry to disappoint. It's not time for that yet. However, I do think it's time to start getting the word out. I've noticed an increase in what I'll call "Antennas" lately, or people who can detect cross-planar phase shifts. Without getting into all the math (some of which I don't even know), this is basically a phenomenon which refers to entropy seeping into our universe from other realms or universes or whatever you want to call it. Simply put, people think our universe is a closed system to entropy, meaning that the disorder of any variable in our universe can only increase or decrease in direct proportion to other variables in that same system (the universe). Under this precept, we can establish rules like the Laws of Thermodynamics, and for most people, they're effective. But not for Antennas.
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.

I won't disclose its actual location, so if that's why you're here, sorry to disappoint. It's not time for that yet. However, I do think it's time to start getting the word out. I've noticed an increase in what I'll call "Antennas" lately, or people who can detect cross-planar phase shifts. Without getting into all the math (some of which I don't even know), this is basically a phenomenon which refers to entropy seeping into our universe from other realms or universes or whatever you want to call it. Simply put, people think our universe is a closed system to entropy, meaning that the disorder of any variable in our universe can only increase or decrease in direct proportion to other variables in that same system (the universe). Under this precept, we can establish rules like the Laws of Thermodynamics, and for most people, they're effective. But not for Antennas.
Put another way, if you throw a bunch of bouncy balls into a box, there are a number of different configurations that the balls could take on, with different speeds and magnitudes. You can calculate all of those if you have the right numbers. Now let's say you throw in another set of balls that you don't consider in your calculations of the initial set. Well, then you're not going to get an accurate picture of what's happening. Most people only see the first set and calculate based on that, but some people can see two, three, four or more sets.
You'll understand the concept better when I tell you the story, but I wanted to give you a primer on an important concept that will help you understand why this place, which I'll call "Area X", exists, and what the goals of the people who work there are.
Also note that I'm going to be using the alias "Trent" moving forward. Please refer to me as such in any direct messages.
***
Eighteen years ago I started working as an independent Home Inspector. I dropped out of community college after my first semester (not because I didn't find some of the subjects interesting, but because deference to a man or woman has never been my style) and started working some odd jobs. I did construction work for a couple years, then plumbing. I even drove a garbage truck for six months. I've always found pleasure in using my hands, and getting dirty was never a problem for me. Still, having a boss really dragged ass, so I spent my free time working on creating my own business. It took a few years and lots of savings, but I finally managed to get basic set of Home Inspection equipment: Tyvek coveralls, a cheap half-face respirator, voltage & AFCI/GFCI testers, CO2 and radon monitors, an IR camera, and telescoping mirrors in addition to the boots, safety glasses, electric gloves, ladder, and toolkits I already had on hand.
My buddy at the time was in the business, but he was moving off to the coast, so he helped me get set up and even introduced me to some of his clients. Of course, by that time I had already gotten my State license, but I still was a bit apprehensive to work with insurance agencies. I thought I could make a living working independently, inspecting for mold or sizing up a house for a prospective buyer. Eventually, though, I realized I should probably take every job available to me.
Easing into the business went about as well as it could have. The clients my friend referred to me were very satisfied with my work, and I was able to retain them. Then, in order to increase my reach, I hired someone on Fiverr to build a website for my company which led to a marked increase in traffic and conversions. About six months through, I began to get on a first-name basis with the boys and girls down down at Allstate and Progressive, and they fed me some of the bigger cases. In fact, I got so booked by year's end that I had to hire someone to help manage my schedule and the Excel spreadsheet with all my finances. I capped off a successful year with a 5-star Google rating and a trip to Ireland to visit some family and friends and get piss drunk. When I got back, it was the grindstone all over again, until the summer when I discovered… well, you'll see.
First off, I want to say that I was never one to believe in the paranormal. I grew up watching the movies and hearing the ghost stories round the campfire like every other kid, but it never struck a chord with me. If I can't touch it or see it or hear it, does it really exist? Probably not. So don't go thinking this was a scared man seeing his own shadow. That being said, I had this sense that something was off about this house when I parked along the curb and looked through a large window, perhaps two times the size of my van, to a dingy, dark foyer.
The entire neighborhood was stacked with upper-middle class domiciles, though it seemed like only two thirds of them were occupied, mostly by professionals who commuted to the City every weekday, and the rest were empty. As a man who understands real estate, to say this was strange would be an understatement. Still, I had no problem appraising the mini-mansion for a couple of newlyweds looking to enter the community. I did some research on the property ahead of time, and it seems that it was owned by a couple of old timers who had gone off the grid some time ago. The water and electric bill were both unpaid dating back to 2004 (it was June of '06 now). The bank had repo'd the house (which only had about 100k left on it) and held it for a year and a half before putting it back on the market. I tried to find out more about the old couple who vanished, but there was nothing in the news.
I stepped out of the van in my coveralls and grabbed my suitcase which had my mask, gloves, and eye protection in it. I liked to do a preliminary survey first, running an eye test on the exterior then interior before bringing out the big guns (that way I could identify the areas where I think there could be problems instead of running a metal detector over the whole damn ocean seaboard). I was about to do just that when the window caught my eye again. It felt uncharacteristic of me to be so occupied with this window, but I detoured to the front porch and peeked inside anyway.
Most of the furniture had already been moved out, meaning all that was left was a single three-seater couch, a couple candlesticks on the fireplace mantle, a pristine chandelier overtop a dining room table, and the kitchenware: an oven, gas stovetop, marble countertops, and an island. I could see into the living room very clearly with the afternoon light, but the dining room was dim enough that there were a few structures I couldn't quite make out in the distance. One of them appeared to be some kind of china cabinet or bookshelf—I figured it was the former considering where it was located. The other shadow looked kind of like a grandfather clock. Or at least that's what I thought until it moved.
When I say it "moved", I don't mean to say that it picked up and walked away. If you're not familiar with the Necker Cube, I suggest you search it up, because that kind of illusion is the best way to describe what I saw. At first I was seeing the grandfather clock in a certain way—pushed into the corner of the room—and the next second my vision "corrected" and it was maybe five feet to the left of its former position. I shook my head and looked again and saw the grandfather clock in its second orientation, standing in the center of the room against the wall. I figured I was just seeing things, but even so I spent a little extra time dawdling around the Egress window, taking notes, and delaying the interior inspection.
When I finally grew a pair and went inside, I walked straight to the dining room. Sure enough, the grandfather clock was stowed away in the corner of the room. I spent a couple minutes watching it with my pencil and travel notebook out. I'm the kind of guy that likes to collect hard data when the chips are down. Unfortunately, the clock apparently already had enough fun and was content with sweating me. Oh, well.
I fitted my pencil behind my ear and pocketed my travel notebook, then flipped the rest of the first floor lights on and completed my prelim. I concluded that everything was pretty standard. If anything, the house was in better shape than I'd expect considering it presumably hasn't been lived in for a couple years. I say "presumably" because one can never count out squatters, even during those times. Mainly I was expecting more dust build up and cobwebs than there were. Perhaps someone from the department had come by recently. It's unlikely, but possible.
I did the same check upstairs and it came back mostly clean. There was a bit of staining near the attic I wanted to check for mold. Based on its color, it was probably just a minor case of Aspergillus, but better safe than sorry. Then I got to the basement, and, well, let's just count out the idea of anyone dropping by. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I found.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long, slender body of a birch tree lying pale and dead across a large portion of the even larger unfinished basement's cement flooring. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but, yep, there it was. Its crown was sealed up in the wall with only its trunk hanging out, which made me think of those medieval pillory devices which locked up people's heads and arms. Then confetti-scattered around the tree and all over the basement floor was a minefield of broken glass and ceramic tangled up with a set of random objects. And when I say random, I mean random. There was an unfurled Somali flag (the blue one with a single star in the center), some packaged drinks and condiments branded with all sorts of different languages (I could only make out Gaelic and Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't quite tell), a broken dome-shaped security camera, an otoscope (the thing the doc uses to check your ears), Hot Wheels cars (okay that one isn't so strange), and the list goes on.
At that moment, I wasn't freaked out or disgusted. I was more or less just confused. I started walking through the rubble, trying to avoid the sharp fragments but pretty confident that my steel toed boots would crush most the pieces anyway, when I heard a clink just up ahead. I was able to spot the coin in time, just before it jingled to a halt atop an old Life magazine. I picked it up and noted right away its oval shape and bronze color—clearly not American made. I tried reading it, but not only was the language not English, it appeared to be so old that most of the lettering had been filed down. I looked up at the ceiling to see if it dropped from a shelf, but there was nothing that could have been holding the coin. I considered for a moment, looking around at the other junk, and had the crazy idea that maybe all this stuff just appeared here. I popped the coin in my pocket and headed back to the van when I stopped by the tree and realized something. It wasn't a birch tree—it was a palm tree. I just didn't realize because of how ashy and decayed the bark was.
Now at this point you might think I've been acting a little nonchalant for such a strange occurrence, and I don't blame you, but if you're gonna stick around with me that's just something you're gonna have to get used to. I guess I was just born with a screw loose, but I really don't scare easily, and I tend to look at everything pragmatically. If you dig deep enough, you'll always find another plausible explanation. That being said, I do want to get to the part about Area X, so let me give you the rundown on what I learned about this basement.
I ended up trekking back to the van and picking up my gear. I was no longer running the routine inspection, obviously, but I figured I might as well throw 30 thousand dollars of scanning equipment at whatever the fuck anamoly existed in that basement. Most of it came back negative. There was a bit higher-than-usual EM interference as picked up on the voltmeters, but nothing that screamed danger close. Still, it was enough for me to set up my volt testers and IR camera while muddling through the rest of the junk. I won't bore you with another list of items, but I did find one thing of value: a diamond necklace. And not just any diamond necklace, it was one of those Queen-wearing, multi-row, big-jeweled necklaces like out of some Historical Fiction movie from the thirties. I almost didn't pocket it because I'm used to expensive items being owned by someone… someone who might want it back. But I figured if there was ever a place the finder's keeper's rule applied, it was probably in this Quantum graveyard.
7 O'clock rolled around and I hadn't eaten. I'm a pretty bulky guy, carrying my share of both muscle and fat, and most people think that means I need to eat a ton but that's really not the case. Mostly I just get dehydrated easily, especially in the summer. That said, I was bordering on famished territory and considered heading out for a bite when I heard another sound. The first thing I did was check my scanners, and sure enough the voltage needle was fully spun to the right side of the dial. EM interference. Then I went to see what had dropped. I was able to pick the object out pretty quickly since I had spent the last 6 hours staring at the mosaic of a basement floor. It was a silver briefcase, like one of those out of a crime novel, and it was cracked open.
I had this sense then that I was standing at a precipice, and if I opened the briefcase and looked inside, I wouldn't be able to stop whatever would come afterwards. Part of me deep down knew that I was just that type of guy that had to know, and maybe this was my Hamlet moment where it would be a trait gone a step too far. But then again I didn't really believe in any of that sentimental bullshit, so I opened the briefcase.
The gun surprised me a little, but not as much as the piece of paper laid atop a case file reading in large black font, "FIND ME". I expected the envelope to have some missing person file in it, but instead there were all these schematics and blueprints for some kind of device. Whatever it was, it was pretty massive. Some of the lengths were hundreds of meters long. And what's more strange is based on the blueprint's locale, it appeared to be underground. I looked back through the pages a couple times, then checked the note—nothing strange there. The gun appeared to be a simple glock. I was no gun expert, but I had been to the range pretty regularly with my construction buddies, so I got used to the feel of a pistol and rifle and some of the different names; however, I realized pretty quickly it wasn't your standard glock when I couldn't find mag-release. That's when I noticed how light the gun felt. I tried to chamber a round, but again, there was no hammer. What the hell kind of gun was this?
I ended up throwing everything back in the briefcase, including the necklace, coin, and a few Koozies I found that were branded with one of my favorite sports teams (never let an opportunity go to waste). I put up all my shit back in the van and spun over to a local burger joint, got my fill, and went home. I made sure to draft an email to the prospective buyers, telling them the house had several patches of black mold and a bit of a rat problem before drifting off to sleep. Although I really didn't do much of that.
When I woke up, I took a cold shower and downed a can of Reign, then commuted to my gym and got a lift and some sauna time in before making the trip back to the house. I brought some extra supplies with me for some experiments I cooked up while not sleeping the previous night.
First, I had two camcorders set up on a couple tripods in either corner of the basement. I wanted clear footage of these mystery objects spawning in. Then I set up a voltmeter in a similar fashion, but I had a wire extending out of it on a circuit which fed to an alarm that would blare when the reading was over 250 volts. Upstairs, I rearranged some of the furniture so that the small number of tables, chairs, clock, cabinets, and other little pillows or vases I could find were scattered across the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then I pulled up a lawn chair to the front porch window and waited.
I didn't have to wait long though. In about a minute, I started to notice some of the objects moving. It was strange. When a few of them would shift simultaneously, it was like looking at a holographic card that would change shape depending on where your eyes were in relation to the image. Every time I saw a shift, I felt an awkward feeling in my eyes. They went blurry for a fraction of a second, then there was a twinge of pain, as if my brain couldn't handle the contradictory stimulus. It didn't get more crazy than that though—until the alarm went off.
I had cracked open the small rectangular window in the basement to the side of the house so I would hear it. It took four hours and several strange stares from passersby walking their dogs before it rang, so I was a bit lost in my thoughts, but when I heard the beep I perked up fast. It lasted for maybe 5 seconds total, but what I saw was truly miraculous. The best way I can describe it is a pool of silver or gray or translucent light emerging in the foreground between me and the objects in the different rooms. A series of twisting tentacles sprouted from the gray octopus-like head and spun in a way that reminded me of that little kids ride at the amusement parks. Then the objects started to "heat up" is the way I describe it. Their position became relative, meaning they were here one second, there another, then they popped out of existence entirely. Suddenly the rooms were all empty, then they were full of things I had never seen before. Then five seconds passed and the octopus vanished and it was back to the same old objects in their usual places.
It took a few minutes to process what I saw, and even then I wasn't sure I really saw it. I went inside and looked around at my distribution of the house's furnishings. They were all there, intact. Then I went downstairs to check the cams. I rewinded a couple minutes and played it back, but there was no flying object to be found. Instead, there was some gray static that lasted half a second and then the object, a kid's treasure chest toy, was there on the ground. But you want to know the really strange part? I rewinded the tape again, and when I watched the footage back, the treasure chest was always there.
I later came to understand that these poppings in-and-out of our reality are only conceivable to a conscious mind that can track the interference patterns—not rote computational instruments. In fact, even most people can't do it (although everyone has at least a slight awareness of it, even if only subconsciously). Plus, locations like the basement of this house are very rare and kept under tight lock. That became obvious to me two days later when, after my normal morning routine, I pulled up to a driveway and curbside filled with unmarked government vehicles. Either bravely or stupidly, I pulled up to a few officers (they were wearing suits in 85 degree weather, so I assumed…) who were idling by the large fence of crime scene tape and asked them what the score was.
"There was a crime," said the short man with a unibrow.
"Oh, is that right? Damn shame. Someone break in? I have a niece who lives nearby, so…"
The man looked at his two compatriots, both of whom were wearing sunglasses and a "get this civilian fuck out of here" expressions. "Oh, yeah," he started in a reassuring tone that was so condescending it would have annoyed anyone except me, "we found a body. We think it was a homicide. Best to keep your kids away from here for a while."
I thumbed the stubble on my chin, my other hand outstretched on the wheel, and considered moving on, but my mouth had other ideas. "That right? But uh, isn't this house vacant? I mean, I don't remember no one living in it."
The short man, now tall with temper, said, "Yeah, some squatters. We think there was a dispute over some drug money. Nothing for you to worry about though, we got it under control. Now if you wouldn't mind moving along, we have a lot of work to do."
Oh, I'm sure you do, I thought, but only said, "Of course, sir, sorry for keeping you from your job." Then I rolled up the window and cruised on, keeping my eyes on the house which slowly diminished in the side-view mirror.
Luckily I had been smart enough to break down my camp and lug home all my equipment each night, so I didn't leave anything incriminating. I didn't move the furniture back, so maybe that would come back to haunt me, but considering the kind of shit going down in that house, I didn't think they would notice.
For any of you wondering about the conclusion of the house story, I went back a couple weeks later after the suits had left and the tape was taken down and confirmed that not only was the basement entirely cleaned out, but it was no longer exhibiting any strange properties. I looked for a story related to the house, maybe a made up murder of some kind, but there was nothing. That bastard lied to me and didn't even bother to cover his story up.
Now, in the aftermath of an event such as this, I really only had one of two options. I could forget it, move on, continue living life. The necklace was surely worth a fortune. I could sell it and have enough to retire, or at least hire enough people and expand my business large enough to retire within ten or so years. Or I could take all that money and invest it in my own PI business with only a single objective: finding out what those people knew, and why they were hiding it.
I think you know me well enough by now to guess which line of reasoning appealed more to me.
***
For the sake of brevity, I'm going to omit most of my encounters along the journey to discovering Area X. There's a lot to tell, and if it appeals to you perhaps I'd be willing to share at a later date, but for now I want to get this part of the story, the more proximal part, out in the open.
Three years ago, I discovered the source of what I'll call "The Receiver". This is the device that was schematized in the documents that I found in the briefcase. What it does is a complex answer, and how it does it is pretty much all speculation, but here's what I've been able to find out: this universe we live in is a node in a network of many other spaces. These spaces exist in higher dimensions that we cannot directly perceive, but using a conceivable analogy, just think about a flower with petals. The petals are these other dimensions which bleed into our world, which is at the center. However, it's not that pretty. We see the physical world through the lens of spacetime: sizes, speeds, etc. These other dimensions don't necessarily have space or time. In fact, what actually exists there, I couldn't say. The only data I have on them is from two sources: correspondence information and server data from the secret agency (which I'll call "the Organization") that keeps this under wraps, and first-hand experience with realms from these other entities, either directly (I experience it) or through the eyes of someone else with the same or greater abilities than I possess.
I referred to these people with abilities earlier as "Antennas", and I will continue to use the term. Antennas really come in three flavors, marked by the strength of their ability: weak Antennas, like me, are able to observe spontaneous interactions between our universe and other dimensions (phase shifts) when there is a strong force of collision like existed in the basement; moderate Antennas may see phase shifts occur at any point, and they usually are able to retain memories from across the different transformations; strong Antennas, and I don't know if they exist yet, but they are able to consciously interact with these other realms and cause phase shifts to occur.
I mentioned that moderate Antennas are able to retain memories from before and after a phase shift. Technically, all Antennas have this ability, but it's about degree. I can recall only very specific instances and without much detail. Moderates are usually able to pick out much more nuanced minutiae. At the lower end of moderate scale, most of those details fade or get fuzzy over time, but for the very strong Antennas, they hold onto almost everything. One other property that scales with strength is interaction with other conscious entities. Only a small percentage of moderates are able to do this. What's interesting is that these entities can possess (yes, like ghosts) people who aren't even antennas, but no one is aware of such possession at this deep of a level. I have several companions now, and only two have had interactions with these otherworldly beings. Not all of them are malevolent, some of them are whimsical or kind, but there are a fair share of demons out there.
Getting back to the point, Area X started as a government funded project in the 70's. At that time, they were focused on a few subjects: Artificial Intelligence, DNA sequencing, and psychedelics. Yes, they were part of the infamous LSD experiments. But they looked at these subjects through a common lens—there was something that the burgeoning tech industry, fueled by the advent of a commercial computer market, was missing. As the tech giants rose in the early 2000's and began to collect mass amounts of data, this other agency was decades ahead in a different metric, although it was completely (and still is) hidden from the public. Their efforts to understand psychedelic experiences led to a formalized method of understanding interactions between multiple realities. They built certain scanning equipment to detect anomalies like the one I found in the basement; although their tools were much more sophisticated and didn't utilize voltage readings. Then they ran tests in these areas. One area in particular is a hot-bed of phase shift interactions. That's where Area X is located (and the Receiver).
The Receiver is a giant electromagnetic orb that has trapped the kind of multi-dimensional energy that causes the phase shifts; since the Organization seized control of the lab, it's effectively become a map of the Earth in relation to these other worlds. For the past twenty or so years, the Organization has been studying this map, using the data big Tech companies have collected to essentially develop a Rosetta Stone for interpreting the meaning of the fluctuations in their scanning equipment. Recently, the public, though going the long way round, was actually pretty close to a breakthrough in this same department until recently when ultra-powerful LLMs surfaced, and the whole world began going down what I'd argue is the wrong rabbit hole of language processing. But I digress.
Area X is essentially a private military base built for defending the most impactful piece of technology ever invented. With the Receiver, the Organization now has the power to essentially predict any and all future outcomes, the only thing holding them back is the limitations of their own scanning equipment which will get better with time. To put it into perspective, the Organization has access to a kind of data allocation tool which in one day can produce over ten thousand times that the Big Data companies combined would be able to filter through in the next decade. You might think, then, that the problem is merely asymmetric power, and that is certainly a concern, but it isn't the main concern. The main issue is that this organization is actively recruiting (and kidnapping) Antennas from around the world in an effort to find or make one of them into a strong Antenna. In other words, they want a subject who is able not only to see the future, but to manipulate it at will.
balance to the world. I've been working on amassing resources, capital, and building my own team, and now I'm ready. You might ask why I'm posting this here. Wouldn't it be better to keep all this secret? Well, yes, it would be. But that's the problem. Nothing is secret anymore. They know about me and the others, and if I don't make a move, they will. In a way, this is a letter directly to the organization that I know, and I'm coming.
In a different way, I wanted to release this information to the public. There are lots of people out there waking up and realizing that the world they experience is not the one others experience. If you think you might be an Antenna, don't be afraid—you have a special gift that can be controlled. If you want more details on how to control it, or if you're interested in my mission, don't be afraid to reach out. This hasn't always been my life's work, but it is now.
At least until I die.

I am currently making a Calorie Tracking app using Swift, but am having some issues with how different views are presented using sheets when trying to pass a variable
I have 2 views - my CaloriesView:

import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct CaloriesView: View { u/EnvironmentObject var viewModel: AuthViewModel @EnvironmentObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @State private var shouldPresentSheet: Bool = false @State private var selectedCategory: String? = nil var body: some View { NavigationView { ScrollView { VStack(spacing: 20) { CurrentCaloriesView(viewModel: calsViewModel) mealSection("Breakfast", foods: calsViewModel.breakfasts) mealSection("Lunch", foods: calsViewModel.lunches) mealSection("Dinner", foods: calsViewModel.dinners) mealSection("Other Food", foods: calsViewModel.otherFoods) } .navigationBarTitle("Calories", displayMode: .inline) } } .onAppear { Task { await calsViewModel.fetchTodayMacros() await calsViewModel.fetchTodayFoodIntake() } } .sheet(isPresented: $shouldPresentSheet) { FoodListView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel) } } @ViewBuilder private func mealSection(_ category: String, foods: [(String, Double)]) -> some View { VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10) { Text(category) .font(.headline) .padding(.top) ForEach(foods.indices, id: \.self) { index in let food = foods[index] VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) { Text(food.0) .font(.headline) .bold() Text("Weight: \(food.1, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .padding(.vertical, 8) } Button(action: { Task { let currentDate = Date() // Use the current date let currentUserId = Auth.auth().currentUser!.uid // Directly using the user ID as we're sure user is logged in do { let macrosDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesMacrosDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !macrosDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createMacrosDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } let foodIntakeDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesFoodIntakeDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !foodIntakeDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createIntakeDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } selectedCategory = category shouldPresentSheet = true } catch { print("Error creating documents: \(error.localizedDescription)") // Handle errors, perhaps by showing an alert to the user } } }) { Label("Add Food For \(category)", systemImage: "plus.circle.fill") .font(.headline) .foregroundColor(.white) .padding() .frame(maxWidth: .infinity) .background(Color.green) .cornerRadius(10) } .padding(.bottom) } } } 

And my FoodView:

import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct FoodListView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @ObservedObject var foodViewModel = FoodViewModel() @Environment(\.dismiss) private var dismiss @Environment(\.presentationMode) var presentationMode var body: some View { NavigationView { List(foodViewModel.foods) { food in NavigationLink(destination: FoodDetailView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel, food: food)) { Text(food.name) } } .navigationTitle("Select Food") .toolbar { ToolbarItem(placement: .navigationBarLeading) { Button("Cancel") { dismiss() } } } .onAppear { foodViewModel.fetchFoods() } } } } struct FoodDetailView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel var food: Food @State private var weight: String = "100" @State private var showConfirmation: Bool = false @State private var errorMessage: String? @ObservedObject var authViewModel = AuthViewModel() var body: some View { VStack { TextField("Enter weight in grams", text: $weight) .keyboardType(.numberPad) .textFieldStyle(RoundedBorderTextFieldStyle()) .padding() if let weightAsDouble = Double(weight) { Text("Calories: \(Double(food.calories) * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") kcal") Group { Text("Protein: \(food.protein * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Carbs: \(food.carbs * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Fat: \(food.fat * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .font(.headline) } Spacer() Button("Add Food") { Task { let today = Date() guard let userId = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid else { errorMessage = "Unexpected error: User ID is not available." return } do { let weightDouble = Double(weight) ?? 100 let mealType: MealType = .other // This should be determined or selected by the user print("Adding food with weight: \(weightDouble)") // Debug log try await calsViewModel.addFoodIntakeAndUpdateMacros(userId: userId, date: today, food: food, weight: weightDouble, mealType: mealType) showConfirmation = true } catch { errorMessage = "An unexpected error occurred: \(error.localizedDescription)" } } } .alert("Food Added", isPresented: $showConfirmation) { Button("OK", role: .cancel) { } } message: { Text("Your daily intake has been updated.") } if let errorMessage = errorMessage { Text(errorMessage) .foregroundColor(.red) .padding() } Spacer() } .padding() .navigationTitle("\(food.name) Details") } } 

Currently, in FoodDetailsView, the mealType variable that is being saved to the firestore document is hardcoded to be ‘Other Food’, so all of the food, no matter which of the 4 "Add Food For \(category)" buttons I click is being shown in the ‘Other Food’ category
I instead want the food to be saved into the Firestore document with the relevant mealType, depending on which section the button is clicked in
I have tried doing this by passing a mealType variable through when the “Add Food For \(category)" button is clicked, as you can see in the new versions of CaloriesView and FoodView below:
CaloriesView:

import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct CaloriesView: View { @EnvironmentObject var viewModel: AuthViewModel @EnvironmentObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @State private var shouldPresentSheet: Bool = false @State private var selectedCategory: String? = nil @State private var selectedMealType: MealType? = nil var body: some View { NavigationView { ScrollView { VStack(spacing: 20) { CurrentCaloriesView(viewModel: calsViewModel) mealSection("Breakfast", foods: calsViewModel.breakfasts, mealType: .breakfast) mealSection("Lunch", foods: calsViewModel.lunches, mealType: .lunch) mealSection("Dinner", foods: calsViewModel.dinners, mealType: .dinner) mealSection("Other Food", foods: calsViewModel.otherFoods, mealType: .other) } .navigationBarTitle("Calories", displayMode: .inline) } } .onAppear { Task { await calsViewModel.fetchTodayMacros() await calsViewModel.fetchTodayFoodIntake() } } .sheet(isPresented: $shouldPresentSheet) { if let selectedMealType = selectedMealType { FoodListView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel, mealType: selectedMealType) } } } @ViewBuilder private func mealSection(_ category: String, foods: [(String, Double)], mealType: MealType) -> some View { VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10) { Text(category) .font(.headline) .padding(.top) ForEach(foods.indices, id: \.self) { index in let food = foods[index] VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) { Text(food.0) .font(.headline) .bold() Text("Weight: \(food.1, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .padding(.vertical, 8) } Button(action: { Task { let currentDate = Date() let currentUserId = Auth.auth().currentUser!.uid do { let macrosDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesMacrosDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !macrosDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createMacrosDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } let foodIntakeDocumentExists = await calsViewModel.doesFoodIntakeDocumentExist(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) if !foodIntakeDocumentExists { try await calsViewModel.createIntakeDocument(userId: currentUserId, date: currentDate) } selectedCategory = category selectedMealType = mealType shouldPresentSheet = true } catch { print("Error creating documents: \(error.localizedDescription)") } } }) { Label("Add Food For \(category)", systemImage: "plus.circle.fill") .font(.headline) .foregroundColor(.white) .padding() .frame(maxWidth: .infinity) .background(Color.green) .cornerRadius(10) } .padding(.bottom) } } } 

FoodView:

import SwiftUI import Firebase import FirebaseAuth import FirebaseFirestoreSwift struct FoodListView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel @ObservedObject var foodViewModel = FoodViewModel() @Environment(\.dismiss) private var dismiss @Environment(\.presentationMode) var presentationMode var mealType: MealType var body: some View { NavigationView { List(foodViewModel.foods) { food in NavigationLink(destination: FoodDetailView(calsViewModel: calsViewModel, food: food, mealType: mealType)) { Text(food.name) } } .navigationTitle("Select Food") .toolbar { ToolbarItem(placement: .navigationBarLeading) { Button("Cancel") { dismiss() } } } .onAppear { foodViewModel.fetchFoods() } } } } struct FoodDetailView: View { @ObservedObject var calsViewModel: CaloriesViewModel var food: Food var mealType: MealType @State private var weight: String = "100" @State private var showConfirmation: Bool = false @State private var errorMessage: String? @ObservedObject var authViewModel = AuthViewModel() var body: some View { VStack { TextField("Enter weight in grams", text: $weight) .keyboardType(.numberPad) .textFieldStyle(RoundedBorderTextFieldStyle()) .padding() if let weightAsDouble = Double(weight) { Text("Calories: \(Double(food.calories) * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") kcal") Group { Text("Protein: \(food.protein * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Carbs: \(food.carbs * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") Text("Fat: \(food.fat * weightAsDouble / 100, specifier: "%.2f") g") } .font(.headline) } Spacer() Button("Add Food") { Task { let today = Date() guard let userId = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid else { errorMessage = "Unexpected error: User ID is not available." return } do { let weightDouble = Double(weight) ?? 100 print("Adding food with weight: \(weightDouble)") // Debug log try await calsViewModel.addFoodIntakeAndUpdateMacros(userId: userId, date: today, food: food, weight: weightDouble, mealType: mealType) showConfirmation = true } catch { errorMessage = "An unexpected error occurred: \(error.localizedDescription)" } } } .alert("Food Added", isPresented: $showConfirmation) { Button("OK", role: .cancel) { } } message: { Text("Your daily intake has been updated.") } if let errorMessage = errorMessage { Text(errorMessage) .foregroundColor(.red) .padding() } Spacer() } .padding() .navigationTitle("\(food.name) Details") } } 

But doing it this way causes the sheet containing FoodListView to be presented as completely blank, containing not even the ‘Cancel’ button
The original code did not do this - any ideas why? Thanks
Edit - for an MVP Minimal Reproducible Example, see my Stack Overflow question: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78492454/why-does-passing-a-variable-into-a-view-that-is-presented-using-a-sheet-cause-th?noredirect=1#comment138379430_78492454

I took about 1.5 years off from seeking / sugaring, and I wasn’t ready to get back on but I decided I really want to find an SD (I have one but want another because why not, and I don’t get to see my current one often so I have the time) and these other sites I’m on just aren’t getting me what I want.
I’ve always had good luck on seeking but have been worried getting back on, given what I’ve read on here. I’ve gotten a lot of views and messages and to my surprise, I’ve found some guys who might be good potentials. I haven’t talked money with any of them yet but there’s about 3-4 I’m currently talking to that I seem to have a natural chemistry with and enjoy talking to, so I’m hopeful at least one will work out.
Something I noticed on seeking that’s different from before is that there’s way more guys in their 20s and 30s?? And before, I saw lots of “private” profiles - the ones where they have no public pic up but might have some private ones. I can’t seem to find these profiles in the search?
I also had a previous POT reach out, he saw my profile. I’d consider him a whale but don’t think he’s generous - he agreed to 3.5k allowance when we talked last (about 1.5-2 years ago) but now my expenses have increased and I have my own place so we’ll see. I’ve thought about him a lot since we last met and we are meeting this weekend. He’s one of the most interesting people I’ve met so I’m looking forward to meeting him again but I’m not looking just for a fun personality. If he doesn’t agree to a higher allowance, I’m thinking I might keep him around and find an additional person. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can persuade him to agree to a higher allowance, let me know. When we were negotiating in the past, I asked for 6k and he was shocked by that amount and said something about “the market”. Whatever, the market is what someone is willing to pay. If this doesn’t work out with him I’ll be a little bummed because I enjoy him but I don’t care that much
ETA: me and the previous pot didn’t officially enter an arrangement before, we talked about allowance but nothing ever really got started

struct Testing: View { @ State private var colors: [Color] = [.red, .blue, .purple, .green, .pink, .yellow] var body: some View { TabView { ScrollView { LazyVStack(spacing: 0){ ForEach(colors, id: \.self) { color in ZStack { Color(color) .containerRelativeFrame([.horizontal, .vertical]) } .scrollTargetLayout() } } } .ignoresSafeArea(edges: .top) .scrollTargetBehavior(.paging) .tabItem { Image(systemName: "house") } } } } 

Take a brief stroll trough my Reddit history and see my true views on most social topics. I'm ultra right wing, anti-woke, don't care about climate change and basically only interested in myself.
Yet, somehow my company bestowed upon me the title of Social Return On Investement Manager. My task is to make the company more social. Lower our carbon footprint and find ways the company can donate money, employee time and knowhow that have a positive impact on society.
I seriously could give a flying fuck about either. Yet somehow, I have given off a vibe that I am the best person for this job. However, I volunteer in a nursing home in my private time that I register for the company's SROI quotas. As it turns out, out of all 450 employees, I'm the only one to actually donate my own time to the company.
I'm trying to look at this as a good thing; it's a management position. How stupid of a position it may be. I can hopefully leverage this in the future for a better management position on a financial topic. And the government is actually forcing targets on all companies to have a certain positive contribution to society (what a stupid rule). So I'm just looking at it from an analytical point of view; There are certain goals and quota's that need to be met, there is a timeline, I need to allocate resources to meet these targets. I can do that.
My first act as SROI manager is that I'm forcing everybody who has a billable ratio of less than 80% to spend half a day a week to form a cleaning crew that walks the city streets picking up trash. As a kind of involuntary volunteers (I need to find a more positive term for that).
But everybody in the company has heard me curse at electric cars. No single person will believe me when I start preaching that I want to get everybody to drive electric before 2026.
To end on a positive note; I am almost able to stop laughing when I say the term Social Return on Investment manager out loud.

Grax stared out the viewing screen as the massive Phoenix darted among the drifting debris that was all the remained of his once mighty armada. Dozens of Vrax ships, some still with atmosphere and artificial gravity, drifted listlessly like tombstones under the broken moon's pale light.
Despite his rage, Grax felt a cold sense of finality steal over him. The battle was truly lost. His subcommander stepped up trembling, awaiting orders. But Grax knew the only choice left. With a furious growl, he slammed a claw onto the comm panel. "All ships, power down weapons and cease hostilities."
The bridge crew looked on cautiously as Grax straightened. "Human vessels, this is Ambassador Grax of the Vrax Empire. You have destroyed our armada and made your power clear. We...surrender unconditionally." The words burned like acid on his tongue, but Grax had sworn an oath to protect his people above all else.
Moments dragged by in tense silence before a female voice replied. "This is Commander Aoki of the ESN Phoenix. Your surrender is accepted, Ambassador Grax. Stand down all weapons and prepare to be boarded. No further harm will come to you or your crew."
Aoki's promise of mercy did little to console Grax as he watched sensor readings show Phoenix launching shuttles towards the nearest hulks. His officers moved nervously, eyeing their restraints with trepidation. Boarding parties would no doubt confiscate any means of resistance or escape.
The arrival of human soldiers aboard the cruiser sent a hush over the crew on the command deck. Towering in unfamiliar powered armor, the soldiers spread out efficiently while keeping weapons trained. Though outmatched, a proud Vrax snarled as energy cuffs bound his wrists.
Grax stared coldly at the humans, meeting their impassive gaze through polarized visors. "Your victory is absolute, but know that the Empire will not forget this humiliation. One day, we will return with power enough to repay this debt tenfold." A soldier laughed derisively. "Save your threats, insect. You're prisoners now."
The insult made Grax bristle, but further defiance was pointless. As if realizing this, the soldier deactivated her mask to reveal brown eyes that studied the aliens with detached curiosity. "We mean your kind no harm. Cooperate, and you'll be treated fairly." Her promise did little to reassure Grax's raging pride, but he submitted silently.
Transporting the surviving crew took hours under the watchful eyes of armed escorts. Grax watched through viewports as the immense Phoenix loomed ahead, eclipsing the pockmarked moonscape. How did these creatures command such power while his Empire spanned worlds? The questions ate at him during processing into separate holding bays.
Finally, Grax was brought before a sealed hatch where a human stood calmly awaiting, jet black hair cut short in strange angles. Recognition dawned as her intense gaze met his. "Commander Aoki, I presume. You have robbed me of victory and left my Empire wounded. What purpose have you brought us here?"
To his frustration, Aoki merely nodded. "All will be explained. For now, know that your lives and citizenship remain intact, so long as peaceful relations are established. The past is regretted, but a new future can be forged." Her tone allowed no argument as soldiers led Grax's delegation away, sealing him in metallic solitude with only his swirling thoughts for company.
Hours passed before the hatch slid open once more to admit a familiar figure. Ambassador Jonah surveyed Grax and the others pensively. "I have argued for leniency and understanding. Your people will be safely returned to your territory once arrangements are made." The human's calm manner surprised Grax, who had expected condemnation after all that had occurred.
"Why show mercy to those who came to conquer?" Grax asked cautiously, probing for the alien mindset. Jonah softened slightly. "We wish no escalation, only peace. Though power dynamics have shifted, cooperation benefits all." His optimism sounded foolish to Grax's bitter pride, but some practical logic prevailed as well. War offered no guarantee of victory on either side now.
Jonah took Grax's contemplative silence as acceptance. "Rest now, Ambassador. Tomorrow we will convene talks to forge a new understanding between our peoples." The human departed, leaving Grax to sit brooding as the stale manufactured air cycled endlessly. His fleet had fought bravely if not wisely, and now their lives were forfeit to human whims. Yet Grax knew defiance would solve nothing - for the Vrax to recover their honor, new strategies must be devised.
As night cycle began, Grax stared into the darkness, filtering Jonah's idealistic words. The human clearly underestimated his Empire's will to restore lost pride by any means. And while open war invite mutually assured destruction now, subtler methods remained. Given time, opportunities would arise, and the Vrax would reap a bitter harvest from the seeds this defeat had sown... The shuttle trembled as magnetic clamps disengaged from the Phoenix. Through clouded windows, Grax glared at the blue-green orb growing ahead, pondering the fate that awaited him and his people on the human home world.
Beside him, Jonah reviewed incoming messages, worrying his lip. The victory celebrations had tapered off as reality set in. An alien invasion force had assaulted Earth's doorstep and needed to be dealt with. Harsh retribution versus rehabilitation would dominate the emergency session.
The shuttle touched down with a jolt, airlocks pressurizing. Security escorted Grax and the Vrax commanders off, mag-cuffs binding their movements. A bristling crowd had gathered, shouting varied insults and demands for justice. Grax saw fear, anger, but hope glimmering in some eyes as well.
World leaders' holograms flickered within the expansive Lunar chamber. Emotions ran high as each delegation demanded to be heard. "These creatures attacked our sovereign soil and people!" bellowed China's Premier. Nods and cries of agreement followed.
"Revenge breeds only further conflict," spoke India's Prime Minister more delicately. "If they pose no future threat, wisdom says deal with them constructively."
Hours dragged on. At every turn, Jonah presented rehabilitation programs emphasizing education, limited communications and oversight. "Showing mercy where possible could yield long term cooperation, not further enmity."
Russia's President countered harshly. "We cannot appease an imperialist power so willing to use brute force. They understand only strength."
The heated debate raged without resolution. Then the elderly Secretary General spoke. "While security remains paramount, reacting from anger helps no one. I say we craft safeguards ensuring accountability on all sides, then we negotiate over imprisonment."
Reluctantly, a compromise took shape - the Vrax would face oversight on a secure facility, with strict controls on information and technologies. If proving genuinely willing to negotiate, some leniency would follow in time. But any breach meant permanent incarceration.
That evening, Jonah met privately with Grax within the detention center. "This was the sole agreement preventing worse outcomes. I will continue advocating on your behalf, but changes must come from within as well."
Grax replied coldly. "You speak of mercy, yet we are prisoners. Do not forget - my people's pride and strength are far from broken. This conflict is only beginning." His frigid eyes sent a chill through Jonah's core as he departed, doubtful any understanding could overcome such enmity.

Grax stared out the viewing screen as the massive Phoenix darted among the drifting debris that was all the remained of his once mighty armada. Dozens of Vrax ships, some still with atmosphere and artificial gravity, drifted listlessly like tombstones under the broken moon's pale light.
Despite his rage, Grax felt a cold sense of finality steal over him. The battle was truly lost. His subcommander stepped up trembling, awaiting orders. But Grax knew the only choice left. With a furious growl, he slammed a claw onto the comm panel. "All ships, power down weapons and cease hostilities."
The bridge crew looked on cautiously as Grax straightened. "Human vessels, this is Ambassador Grax of the Vrax Empire. You have destroyed our armada and made your power clear. We...surrender unconditionally." The words burned like acid on his tongue, but Grax had sworn an oath to protect his people above all else.
Moments dragged by in tense silence before a female voice replied. "This is Commander Aoki of the ESN Phoenix. Your surrender is accepted, Ambassador Grax. Stand down all weapons and prepare to be boarded. No further harm will come to you or your crew."
Aoki's promise of mercy did little to console Grax as he watched sensor readings show Phoenix launching shuttles towards the nearest hulks. His officers moved nervously, eyeing their restraints with trepidation. Boarding parties would no doubt confiscate any means of resistance or escape.
The arrival of human soldiers aboard the cruiser sent a hush over the crew on the command deck. Towering in unfamiliar powered armor, the soldiers spread out efficiently while keeping weapons trained. Though outmatched, a proud Vrax snarled as energy cuffs bound his wrists.
Grax stared coldly at the humans, meeting their impassive gaze through polarized visors. "Your victory is absolute, but know that the Empire will not forget this humiliation. One day, we will return with power enough to repay this debt tenfold." A soldier laughed derisively. "Save your threats, insect. You're prisoners now."
The insult made Grax bristle, but further defiance was pointless. As if realizing this, the soldier deactivated her mask to reveal brown eyes that studied the aliens with detached curiosity. "We mean your kind no harm. Cooperate, and you'll be treated fairly." Her promise did little to reassure Grax's raging pride, but he submitted silently.
Transporting the surviving crew took hours under the watchful eyes of armed escorts. Grax watched through viewports as the immense Phoenix loomed ahead, eclipsing the pockmarked moonscape. How did these creatures command such power while his Empire spanned worlds? The questions ate at him during processing into separate holding bays.
Finally, Grax was brought before a sealed hatch where a human stood calmly awaiting, jet black hair cut short in strange angles. Recognition dawned as her intense gaze met his. "Commander Aoki, I presume. You have robbed me of victory and left my Empire wounded. What purpose have you brought us here?"
To his frustration, Aoki merely nodded. "All will be explained. For now, know that your lives and citizenship remain intact, so long as peaceful relations are established. The past is regretted, but a new future can be forged." Her tone allowed no argument as soldiers led Grax's delegation away, sealing him in metallic solitude with only his swirling thoughts for company.
Hours passed before the hatch slid open once more to admit a familiar figure. Ambassador Jonah surveyed Grax and the others pensively. "I have argued for leniency and understanding. Your people will be safely returned to your territory once arrangements are made." The human's calm manner surprised Grax, who had expected condemnation after all that had occurred.
"Why show mercy to those who came to conquer?" Grax asked cautiously, probing for the alien mindset. Jonah softened slightly. "We wish no escalation, only peace. Though power dynamics have shifted, cooperation benefits all." His optimism sounded foolish to Grax's bitter pride, but some practical logic prevailed as well. War offered no guarantee of victory on either side now.
Jonah took Grax's contemplative silence as acceptance. "Rest now, Ambassador. Tomorrow we will convene talks to forge a new understanding between our peoples." The human departed, leaving Grax to sit brooding as the stale manufactured air cycled endlessly. His fleet had fought bravely if not wisely, and now their lives were forfeit to human whims. Yet Grax knew defiance would solve nothing - for the Vrax to recover their honor, new strategies must be devised.
As night cycle began, Grax stared into the darkness, filtering Jonah's idealistic words. The human clearly underestimated his Empire's will to restore lost pride by any means. And while open war invite mutually assured destruction now, subtler methods remained. Given time, opportunities would arise, and the Vrax would reap a bitter harvest from the seeds this defeat had sown... The shuttle trembled as magnetic clamps disengaged from the Phoenix. Through clouded windows, Grax glared at the blue-green orb growing ahead, pondering the fate that awaited him and his people on the human home world.
Beside him, Jonah reviewed incoming messages, worrying his lip. The victory celebrations had tapered off as reality set in. An alien invasion force had assaulted Earth's doorstep and needed to be dealt with. Harsh retribution versus rehabilitation would dominate the emergency session.
The shuttle touched down with a jolt, airlocks pressurizing. Security escorted Grax and the Vrax commanders off, mag-cuffs binding their movements. A bristling crowd had gathered, shouting varied insults and demands for justice. Grax saw fear, anger, but hope glimmering in some eyes as well.
World leaders' holograms flickered within the expansive Lunar chamber. Emotions ran high as each delegation demanded to be heard. "These creatures attacked our sovereign soil and people!" bellowed China's Premier. Nods and cries of agreement followed.
"Revenge breeds only further conflict," spoke India's Prime Minister more delicately. "If they pose no future threat, wisdom says deal with them constructively."
Hours dragged on. At every turn, Jonah presented rehabilitation programs emphasizing education, limited communications and oversight. "Showing mercy where possible could yield long term cooperation, not further enmity."
Russia's President countered harshly. "We cannot appease an imperialist power so willing to use brute force. They understand only strength."
The heated debate raged without resolution. Then the elderly Secretary General spoke. "While security remains paramount, reacting from anger helps no one. I say we craft safeguards ensuring accountability on all sides, then we negotiate over imprisonment."
Reluctantly, a compromise took shape - the Vrax would face oversight on a secure facility, with strict controls on information and technologies. If proving genuinely willing to negotiate, some leniency would follow in time. But any breach meant permanent incarceration.
That evening, Jonah met privately with Grax within the detention center. "This was the sole agreement preventing worse outcomes. I will continue advocating on your behalf, but changes must come from within as well."
Grax replied coldly. "You speak of mercy, yet we are prisoners. Do not forget - my people's pride and strength are far from broken. This conflict is only beginning." His frigid eyes sent a chill through Jonah's core as he departed, doubtful any understanding could overcome such enmity.

Hi, I’m a 25 year old woman raised in reform Judaism. I was pretty active in our synagogue as a high school student and even at one point considered studying to become a Rabbi. When I was 18, I started college at a prestigious private university in the midwest known for having a strong Jewish presence on campus. I got a tattoo against my mom’s wishes, and had such guilt about it, it made it difficult to consider myself as a jew (strange, I know). I ended up going on Birthright the end of my freshman year and extended my stay after our trip concluded. I stayed to do a walking tour of Bauhaus Architecture in Tel Aviv and to visit the Tel Aviv Art Museum several times. It was the first time I’d ever traveled in a different country alone. As many may know, colleges in the US rarely give religious holidays off and with the intense coursework and need to attend lectures, I felt I couldn’t really be observant and keep up with courses. I felt really guilty and tried to get a little more involved at Hillel during my final year in school. Because of the pandemic, I opted to go right to grad school. I have one year left and given the state of the world, I am feeling a pull towards other jewish people and am realizing that Judaism is too significant of an element of my identity to forsake. That being said, I am surrounded by people who want to define antisemitism in their terms, actively express their belief in Zionism as an expression of settler-colonialism, and seem to view anyone disagreeing or feeling uncomfortable about it as disgusting hateful colonizers. It’s a difficult time to be a student on a college campus in the US right now.
My partner is not Jewish but also was not raised in any particular faith. His step grandfather was Jewish and before he passed, shared holidays with my partner and his family. I have always said that I want to raise our future children in Reform Judaism. Recently, he’s begun to consider converting, as we will be getting married in the next few years. Obviously, converting is a pretty big deal and I have told him that I would love it if he converted but that I don’t expect him to unless it is what he wants.
Does anyone have advice on coming back to judaism after a hiatus? Or any book recommendations on how to reconnect to Judaism? Does anyone have advice on where to start with conversion to reform judaism?
Thanks in advance!!

If you been on Pixiv lately, you probably heard news that the private policy will be updated on May 28. Im curious on how could this effect the users.
Best case scenario is that it just means what data will be given away and that’s it but I’m kinda worried that this could be mean that they start cracking down on us/uk users who used the Japan region loophole to view certain stuff.
I already have my favorite works and marks links in my notes app so I just have to click them to find them again if I have to make a new account

TL/DR
Current YouTube Dislike Counter extensions work by taking data from those who have the extension and extrapolate information from there. The issue is that those who have the extension are individuals who are more likely to dislike, skewing the sample size to those who are more likely to dislike than the casual viewer.
A better look into those details would be comparing the publicly available Likes to View and calculating a percentage based on how likely someone is to Like a video while viewing. A simple calculation is Like / View. Reversing it to Views / Likes shows how many views it takes to receive 1 like.
This calculation doesn't magically make RoP the most successful trailer ever. Far from it, but it does better reflect the data and I believe it to not be skewed one direction or the other.
Rings of Power Data*

Link	Views	Likes	Chance of Like per View
Season 2 Teaser Trailer	5,441,810	74,010	1.36%
Season 2 A look Inside	202,616	7,158	3.53%
Season 1 Main Teaser	12,479,810	79,395	0.64%
Season 1 Teaser Trailer	31,555,692	130,915	0.41%

^{See limitations of method section}
Season 2 (so far) is faring much better than season 1 in this comparison.
 
INTRODUCTION
YouTube statistics, specifically likes/dislikes, is a common point in many online discussions when talking about upcoming media. Rings of Power Season 1 & 2 are not exempt from this. Since YouTubes removal of a dislike button in 2021 different extensions have come into play to replicate that. Most commonly the "Replace YouTube Dislike Button" Extension for Chrome (and probably other Browsers). My hope here is to
1) Point to the flaws that are associated with that extension.
2) A better way to measure Like/dislike engagement with publicly available data. By dividing the Likes by the Views to see how likely someone is to like the video.
3) The flaws associated with this method.
 
1) THE RETURN THE YOUTUBE DISLIKE EXTENTION (RYD)
Being made after YouTube removed the Dislike button in late 2021, this extensions goal was to return the dislike to YouTube (Duh). On release, Dislike data was still reported by YouTube API. So it began as a pretty straightforward app that simply called that data from the API and inserted it into the web page. Shortly after, YouTube removed that data from the API all together. Creators could still privately view their like/dislike, but that data couldn't be accessed by a 3rd party.
To counter that the app started working in a new way, it 1) Pulled as much information from the API that it could to have a "Base" set of data for videos posted before the removal. 2) Recorded when it's users interacted with the like/dislike buttons and added it to the data base. According to their GitHub FAQ #5 videos uploaded AFTER the API was shutdown is calculated by (RYD User Dislike Count)(RYD User Like Count) * Public Like Count. Simply put. It gets the ratio of it's users likes/dislikes and applies that ratio to the public count.
It's honestly not a bad system, but it has a pretty major flaw. The extension is more likely to be used by those who downvote more often. This simply skews the data to be Dislike heavy. This is pretty verifiable by doing a simple Google Search and reading up on what different YouTube Creators are saying. This Creator is claiming that the extension reports 50+ dislikes while YouTube reports 15! a ~230% increase!
The Return the YouTube Dislike Extent ion could be great, if people who are casual viewers & those who commonly like videos would download and use it as well. However, that's not the case and the result is a large group of their users are those who are more likely to downvote and want to see those numbers.
 
THE BETTER METHOD
I believe a better method to see the positive engagement of a video is looking at how likely someone is to "Like" the video per view. This is easily calculated by Getting the Like count and dividing it by the view count. You can also reverse that to calculate how many views it takes to get a like on overage. Since both of these numbers are publicly available, we can be much more confident that the numbers aren't skewed by an outside 3rd party group.
Lets look at different recently released trailers, Most "Successful" with this method to least.

Link	Views	Likes	Chance of Like per View
Wicked - Official Trailer	2,019,551	103,339	5.12%
The Boys – Season 4 Official Trailer	9,202,858	426,627	4.64%
House of the Dragon Season 2 Official Trailer	3,094,267	126,642	4.09%
RoP Season 2 A look Inside	202,616	7,158	3.53%
Dune: Prophecy Official Teaser	1,795,601	60,603	3.38%
The Penguin	3,648,089	4,650	2.99%
The Acolyte Official Trailer	10,576,120	193,683	1.83%
RoP Season 2 Teaser Trailer	5,441,810	74,010	1.36%

Using this method, We can easily see the level of "Excitement" there is behind each trailer based on how likely someone is to like the video, and we can easily compare these numbers as well if you're so inclined.
 
LIMITATIONS OF LIKE/VIEW METHOD
As time progresses, opinions change. What might have been a highly anticiped tv show or movie could have been a dud and gotten a bunch of dislikes after the release. Or something could have flown under the radar, turned out great and so people are going back to the trailer and liking it out of excitement of the finished product. Because of this, this method shouldn't really be used to compare new and old videos as too many variables come up as time progresses. I did this in my TLDR section to compare season 1 & 2. A workaround for this would to pull the data from Waybackmachine for the same time period in relation. So what I should of done in my TLDR is grab a capture 2 days after reveal of the data. So a more accurate table would look like this...

Link	Views	Likes	Chance of Like per View
Season 2 Teaser Trailer	5,441,810	74,010	1.36%
Season 2 A look Inside	202,616	7,158	3.53%
Season 1 Main Teaser (July 16th 2022)	4,535,187	53,000	1.16%
Season 1 Teaser Trailer(Feb 16th 2022)	18,754,323	84,000	0.44%

This didn't change the Season 1 Teaser Trailer much, but there was a significant change in the Main Teaser Percentage.
 
CONCLUSION
None of this really matters. If you like the show, great! If you don't, great! Either way, touch grass and hug a loved one (I know I need to after writing all of this lol). It's what J.R.R Tolkien would have wanted.
I like data and a major way people are comparing trailers is flawed with the possible fairly biased sample size. I think comparing Likes to views is a better way. This doesn't Magically make RoP somehow the most popular & well liked media ever produced. Far from it. But it is a better look at how it's trailers compare to other recent trailers.

I paused my nearly completed (12/15 chapter) longfic in October 2022 because I had a new idea for the ending, was unsure on how to include it and also lost motivation thanks to a lack of feedback. After a while I added it to a private collection until I rewrote it because reading what I wrote made me cringe and I didn't want to delete it completely.
A bit ago someone asked in the comments of another fic where my fic had gone and I decided to start working on it again. I've now rewritten the first 3 chapters (ca 22k words) and feel happy with them.
Now I'm not sure what to do with them. I guess it makes sense to wait until I rewrote the rest of the chapters, but do I just delete the old ones from the story and replace them, pull it from collections and release it all at once? Or just bit by bit, since a few things have changed from what I originally posted. Or maybe it makes more sense to post a completely new fic?
I'd just like to hear the thoughts of the people here. By now I don't even care about any kind of views or kudos (at least that's what I'm telling myself) but I just want to know what makes most sense for people who have read the original one and for those that haven't.
Thank you for commenting^{^}