I'm not sure what I'm looking for, I guess just wanted to write out what I'd been feeling and put it somewhere. I'm using a burner account, and no real names, I just needed to vent this somewhere
I dated my ex (I won't bother with names) for 4 years, and broke things off last summer. Like all relationships it was complicated, but now - nine months later - I still have no idea if I did the right thing, and am left feeling rudderless and adrift.
I'm 41, she's 32 - we met online four-ish years ago, immediately hit it off and started seeing each other 3-4 times a week. We started dating in Jan 2020 ... two months later, covid hit, and our entire state was essentially locked down. We went from dating to basically living together after two months - which, at the time, was great with me .. we were in love, and things seemed great. My parents split up when I was 19. In my 20's and early 30's, I'd made some bad choices with romantic partners - and chased after people who were emotionally unavailable, fundamentally. It took many years of therapy and introspection, but I had been actively making and effort to only date people I saw a real future with.
She (at 28) had never really dated anyone before. She explained she had some very severe trauma as a child, and coupled with abusive parents, she had never put herself out there really, and had focused on work, and fitness, and school. Her father had cheated on her mother when she was a child, and she knew about it (from a very young age). I heard all this, and tried to be as empathic and understanding and reassuring as I could -> after all, it wasn't anything she had done, and I thought she was a badass for overcoming that kind of abuse. We hit it off straight away, and seemed to have tons in common, and those first few months together were incredible. She still lived at home, with her parents - and for the duration of our relationship never moved out, or found her own space.
Things started to get strange when one day, I liked a female friend's post on Instagram ... this was someone I'd known for 5-6 years, and I was friends with long before I knew my gf. In retrospect, my friend's post was a bit thirsty .. your classic "I'm powerful, self possessed" look-at-me photos that showed a bit too much skin - and I should have just kept browsing, but I tapped 'like' (one of probably 20 posts I liked that day from all kinds of different friend) and moved on.
A few hours later, my gf called me, furious, and accused me of using her 'as a place holder' because - in her mind - I obviously REALLY wanted to be with this other friend of mine, and was using her. This came completely out of left field to me, and we had a 2-hour phone argument where I apologized, told her I'd remove the 'like', whatever she wanted. She kept circling back again and again that it was "totally normal" to go through a partners friend list / liked posts because "anyone can see them, they're public". We went back and forth, I was frantic and after we got off the phone, I went through my Instagram and basically purged any attractive female friend I had, and removed any likes I had to any post that might be weird or suspect. From them on I rarely used social media at all - but every few months my ex would find a new friend on my social media she didn't like, or suspected - even after I stopped interacting with social media at all.
This same sort of low-level suspicion persisted throughout our relationship. If I was looking at my phone, she wanted to know what I was reading, who I was talking to, etc. I have never cheated on a partner in my life, in fact I had been cheated on twice - so the sort of dull, constant suspicion really upset me - and after a while it almost felt like she was trying to manifest / discover some kind of secret infidelity. The tragic part is that we got along great otherwise, she loved my (male) friends, loved my family, and we had a relaxed and loving relationship besides occasional flare ups. But the suspicion never went away, or changed - and this sort of underlying insecurity was a constant background white noise of our relationship. She especially took a disliking to my roommates girlfriend, and made it a point to always talk about how much she disliked her, how they weren't going to last - etc (I can't say I blame her, the girl in question was not awesome .. but I never understood why his g/f should have such an outsized effect on our relationship). Despite all this, I thought she was an a kind, empathic, intelligent woman - and I saw a life with her, I saw starting a family with her - as real possiblities.
She grew very attached to my family, which also started to make me wonder what was going on. Many times, first thing in the morning, before coffee or anything else, she'd ask me "how's your mom? how's your dad?" - and would always want to know if she was 'still their favorite'. The first few times I thought it was charming - but it kept going on, to the point I had to push back and ask her "hey, please stop asking me first thing in the morning about the status of my family" ... for reference, I lived on the opposite side of the country from them, and would only get to see them for the holidays (which she was always invited to). I had a very challenging period of my life with my family, from 15-30 my family was fractured, my parents split up, it was messy ... but through years of effort, and time and patience forgiveness, I had built strong, loving relationships with both my parents individually, and my siblings besides. I sometimes got the sense that she even loved my family more than me, and that I was - weirdly - almost an obstacle between her and them. I told her as much, that sometimes I almost was jealous of how much she loved them, and wished that she could point that in my direction sometimes - knowing that they would be part of the package. She never did that same work with her own family - who were deeply dysfunctional, combative and sometimes outright hostile to one another. As crazy as it sounds, I often felt like she was almost trying to reap the rewards of the many years of hard work I had done - without an appreciation for how hard it had been to build new, adult relationships with my parents.
After a year and a half she found a new job, in a new industry, at a high profile company - and for the first six months she was there, she seemed to be able to manage the stress. I asked her if she wanted to maybe find a place together, to move in together for real ... but she kind of brushed it off. I would ask her again every few months, and would be met with the same sort of half-maybe-sorta-we'll-see ...
She suffered a major concussion two years into our relationship, which is when things really started to change. She never went to therapy, or saw a doctor to get treated ... and as the months went by, she became obsessed, almost addicted, to her job. It was all-consuming for her, and occupied all her thought and effort and time ... our relationship became an afterthought, and would mostly be relegated to her staying over (because my apt was closer to her office than her parent's house) - then me cooking her breakfast and seeing her off in the morning - and getting take out when she got back at night. She became more and more locked into her job, and our relationship became more and more platonic and less and less romantic / sexual... which is not uncommon when people are stressed out, or exhausted - but we couldn't seem to find time or space to fix what was happening. We talked, and communicated - but her reaction to stress was to go inside herself, and cut the world off -> and my stress reaction has often been the same.
We grew more and more distant over the next year, I also got a new job that ate up a ton of my time, so we would only see each other for an hour or two in the evenings, or on the weekends when we were up for it. I have a habit of pushing the people I care about away when I am not doing well emotionally .. it's the biggest recurring issue I've had in my life. I've been to therapy for it, and have ways to manage stress including meditation, exercise and a healthy diet - all of which allow me to function. But as the months went by, I got more and more stressed out as we became more distant - and I started to fall apart, and started to feel more and more alone and isolated. I'm sure I could have been better, or more attentive, or more patient ... and I in no way want to trying to pin any blame on her. After all, I'm just 1/2 of the relationship, and 1/2 of the story. After not seeing each other for a few weeks, I had to go out of town for a week for my job - to deal with a long and stressful convention ... and when I came back, we didn't see each other for another week.
I wanted her to come see me, but couldn't come out and say it ... I wanted her to intuit my needs, which she OF COURSE was not able to do. She wanted me to tell her I desperately wanted to see her, which she couldn't articulate because she wanted ME to intuit her needs ... and round and round it went. Lack of communication.
We did see each other eventually, what started as a small disagreement blew up. It started after my ex starting talking about my roommate's girlfriend, or she said something nasty about her. I was upset because we hadn't seen each other in weeks, why would this girl be the first thing on her mind? What about us? I totally overreacted and pushed her away - it was a long and stupid argument, where we both ended up dredging up things from months and years before .. we broke up, she left. In my self-righteous indignation, I felt justified in the moment ... but as the hours passed, and days passed, I was miserable and knew I had made a horrible mistake. My friends at the time told me I'd done the right thing, and that we had long standing issues that I had been mentioning throughout our relationship ... she liked her well enough, but wanted me to be happy, and told me that I had, ultimately, done what I thought was right at the time - and not to doubt myself. But I did, I got fully stuck in my head about it - and was desperate (yes, the D word) to try again.
Over the next few weeks she totally ignored me, wouldn't respond to my calls, or messages. I didn't expect her to - but I practically begged her to give it another chance with me. But she had totally shut down, and in her (later) words "she was never going to speak to me again." She did, eventually, after a few weeks, respond to me. We talked, I apologized, tried to explain that she was the world to me, and I knew I had made a massive mistake, and desperately wanted a chance to try again - to make things right.
She agreed, eventually. We met up for dinner, and slowly talked things out - I was still honestly pretty upset, but we kept seeing each other, started making it a point to go on dates, to get to know each other again. She believed I had cheated on her, that I had met another woman and that this had all been a pretext ... I caught her going through my phone after I got out of the shower. There was nothing to find, but I couldn't believe that she still, after years together, suspected I had been unfaithful to her. But that was just a bump in the road, we talked it out. Things seemed to be getting better. We shared an amazing thanksgiving together, and I genuinely felt like we had turned a corner and were as close as we had ever been ... so did she.
The next Monday, at work, she got another concussion - worse than the first. From this point on, her entire personality shifted ... Which I have learned, in the months that followed, is just something that can happen with head trauma. She didn't want to spend time together nearly as much, she fully retreated into herself, and her family. She wouldn't come visit at all anymore - even if I was willing to pick her up / drop her off ... she would only agree to meet for platonic dinners at a halfway point between our houses. She started seeing a doctor, a neurologist, doing PT work ... but she just kept seeming to get further and further away. If I invited her over, she was always want to know if my roomate's g/f "might" be there, or if we'd be alone ... and if there was even a chance this girl would be there (even though we could spend time in my room, or in the common living room without interference) - my ex would just stay home.
Six or seven months of this went by ... we kept sort of drifting apart, and it seemed like no matter how much I tried to communicate, or bridge the divide between us (which, to be honest, it felt like I was doing 3/4 of the work to keep this thing going) - we just kept drifting. After her second concussion, we stopped being intimate all together ... she was still convinced I had been with other women while we were apart, and demanded I get tested for STDs for her to trust me again. I let my pride get in the way, and should just have done it - but I had not been with or dated anyone else in the few weeks we were apart, and I couldn't get over that she still wouldn't trust me at my word.. after almost 4 years together, I still had to prove myself.
But I didn't, I was stubborn and dug my heels in - so our last potential shot at intimacy evaporated. We became basically platonic buddies ... we still loved each other, said we loved on another every day - but I always felt like I was chasing her, hoping for some kind of emotional connection or breakthrough or common ground that never manifested. By the time July rolled around, I was a total mess ... I felt completely alone, isolated, and like the person I knew and loved had drifted off, and there wasn't a way to get her back. For two months I said that I was really struggling, I was feeling really disconnected and that I missed her all the time - that I wanted to get back to baseline but didn't know how, and that I wanted her help or guidance. She said she felt like she was gradually getting back to where she started, but had no clear picture of how long that might take, and couldn't give me any kind of definitive answer if things would get better again - or how things might get better again.
It never happened. With another month-long work event looming on the horizon, and my stress levels climbing and climbing, I felt like I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Eventually, after one of our platonic dates, I had a full on breakdown, and tearfully told her how isolated I was feeling, how I felt like I'd lost her, and how I felt totally clueless how to fix things. She had no ideas to offer, no guidance on how to navigate any of this, and no suggestions how to get back to some kind of baseline. It all poured out from both sides ... she didn't feel like she could trust me ever since we'd got back together, I felt like she neve really let me back in. But we both agreed that that one thanksgiving had been amazing ... and we wished we could find a way back to that place - but had no idea how.
I told her I needed a month, or two, I needed to start seeing a therapist, I needed to put myself back together because I felt like I was falling apart. I told her I wished that we could take a breathe - and come back on more solid footing because I had fucked up when I broke things off before. I had come back from a place of sadness and desperation - and had not given either of us a chance to heal before trying to undo the damage I'd caused. I wanted to meet her on even footing, from a place of mutual strength and try again ...
To her, this was just me breaking up with her again.. which I tried to say "no, I don't want to lose you, but I'm fucked up and need to just right the ship a bit in my life because I am totally losing it ..." But, sometimes it doesn't matter. To her, I was leaving her again, giving up. I had no idea if she'd speak to me again, but I felt so broken I didn't know what else to do.
I took two months, without contact, and started seeing a therapist, started exercising again, got through my hell-month at work. I tried reaching out again to her, multiple times after that ... but I never heard back. A few months went by - I missed her more and more, I didn't heal or get better, I didn't feel like I'd done the right thing. My friends told me I had, my family was supportive - my friends especially have told me time and time again that ultimately, I did the right thing, that I did what was right 'for me' ... but to me, the reassurance didn't matter. There was a giant, gaping hole in my life that I had no idea what to do with. This was a woman I had wanted to marry, that I had wanted to life with, to build and share a life with -> and at one point, I know she wanted the same. I felt so terrible, and couldn't handle the memories of the place I was in, that I resigned from my job (which was ok, it was a horrible grind, that while it paid ok, didn't have any kind of upward mobility) .. and after a lot of thought, I moved back across the country because it was too painful for me to be in that place, surrounded by the memories - living with the ghosts. My friend group had been slowly dispersing, getting new jobs in new cities, having kids and getting on with life - and I didn't see a reason to stay anymore. I debated reaching out to my ex to let her know I was moving - but it had been months without a word, she had not responded to any of my attempts to talk to her, to meet her even for coffee, or to return the few things of hers I still had - and I knew that if I did reach out - it would ultimately be a selfish act, hoping that somehow she might say 'oh no, he's leaving for good' ... so I didn't. I'm still not sure if she knows I left.
I've been saying with family, slowly putting the pieces of my life back together. I'm taking classes, and plan on switching careers into a new field that I may actually am passionate about. I'll find my own place again in a month or two, but truth is I missed my family dearly, and have been helping both my aging parents with years of neglected repairs and yard work - and seeing my siblings and their families again after a decade of living on the opposite coast and getting to see them 'maybe' once a year around the holidays. Plus after paying insane rent to random landlords for over a decade, its been nice to have a few months of feeling grounded, and to put work into where I'm living. My family has been thrilled, and glad to have me around again.
But it's made no difference, really. I still think of her every day. Some days are easier than others, and I can manage to stay focused on classes and work and fitness - but in so many ways my life feels totally hollow now. I'm stuck wondering if I completely fucked up a good thing, and wasted what might have been my last shot at starting a family of my own, of having a real partner. I'm 41, realistically my chances get slimmer by the year. Or maybe I did totally the right thing, and I got out of a degenerating situation that had been nagging at me for months and months that something was deeply wrong. Or maybe it was somewhere in between those two poles. There's no way to know, and I'm limited to my own side, and my own perspective - and trapped in that middle ground of wondering how things "MIGHT" have gone had X Y or Z happened differently. I wish I had some kind of clarity, or certainty, but I don't.
I guess things are getting a bit easier, as the days and weeks and months go by - but its only by fractions of a degree. I miss her, or maybe just miss the person she used to be, if that person still exists. Head trauma is ... complicated - because the person looks the same, sounds the same ... but the person you knew, the person you fell in love with, isn't really the same person anymore. Its almost like, mourning the death of someone who is still alive, if that makes sense.
So here I am, taking it one day at a time, hoping for some brighter tomorrow, some slow healing or revelation or clarity that I did the right thing - but all I have are doubts. There's no closure to be found because all I ever got was silence. I've done everything people have recommended - focused on myself, focused on health and fitness, focus on learning new skills, on meeting new people, gone on dates, focused on family, focused on growing -> but it hasn't helped the giant, gaping hole in my life, and the never-ending uncertainty.
I expect no sympathy, or empathy ... and knowing reddit, I'll get a lot of people piling on to tell me what a piece of shit I am, lol'ing at how I fucked up my own life, and telling me she's better off without me. But then again sometimes even Reddit can surprise you with the insightful and thoughtful responses. More than anything, I just wanted to write this down somewhere, anywhere - to get it out of my head and my heart. Because the more it stews, the worse I feel. Thanks for reading, if you managed to make it this far.. its a long, messy, meandering story without any real ending. Will I hear from her again? Probably not. Will I get over her? Eventually I'm sure ... but what happens between now and then is anyone's guess. What ever it is, it'll happen on day, one moment at a time.
tldr; sometimes things just end - without someone cheating, or abusing the other person, or any real good way to sum it up. Life and relationships are long, complicated, nuanced and messy. Take care all, appreciate what you have while you have it, take it one day at a time

I have my GC license in NC, and I'm actively applying in GA and TN. I already have taken the Business Law exam in TN, but have yet to take it for Georgia. How different is the NASCLA business law book between NC/TN and Georgia? I'm debating about doing a separate practice course, or if they are similar enough to one another that I would be ok with just getting the book and taking the test.
I think the TN and NC tests were very similar, and I'm hoping the Ga test is the same.
Thoughts?

Hey guys, I recently passed my series 66 and wanted to share a bit about what I encountered. I had STC as my vendor and i did a lot of practice finals. I was a little worried because I was scoring exactly 70% and sometimes 67/68, but I did the final with show answer explanation. There were some questions (about 5 on average) that i would get wrong simply because I misread the question but in reality i should've chosen the correct answer. Try to not memorize answers and understand why you got that answer wrong. The actual exam was easier for me than the practice tests. I also recommend to supplement the areas of weakness with series 7 guru and capital advantage on Youtube! super helpful!
Remember to RTFQ, take your time (don't rush) and understand what it is asking you. Usually you can narrow it down between 2 answer choices but you must select the response that is MOST fitting/correct. I can recall the times I've made mistakes on my practice exams is due to not fully understanding the question.
Now here's what I encountered on the exam.

• Prohibited/unethical practices came up A LOT, so did questions about USA and state vs federal registration (office vs no office/ x clients). It is super critical to know differences between BD and IA and the registration requirements for federal and state. Be familiar with churning, reverse churning, selling away, breakpoint (1 question), painting the tape, etc.
  • BD/agents and IA/IAR
  • Make sure to watch Dean Tinney's video about USA and federal vs state registration.
  • Note: the exam is subtle they will give answer choices that are not 100% obvious, for example i remember an answer choice with "mutual funds" or something like that which basically means its an investment company and is exempt from registration.
  • they did have I,II, III, IV format for a few questions but not all
• Investment company act/investment companies. I had a question about open vs closed, which is an easy one if you know what they each are and their differences.
• For the formulas know the concept and how the formula works and what they contain. I did not have to pull out my calculator but knowing the formula helped (i.e. p/e ratio, p/b ratio, NPV, future & present value). I had a couple questions on Modern Portfolio Theory, CAPM, and standard deviation.
  • Definetely know current assets and current liabilities
  • balance sheet vs income statement
  • fundamental and technical analysis were both on the exam
  • some risk identifying questions (business risk, market risk etc)
  • type of portfolio (i.e. sector rotation was on there)
• Definetely know customer accounts and what makes them different (joint tenants in common vs joint with survivor), know the different business types (limited partner, c corp, LLC etc.).
• Know the differences between the types of life insurance (whole, universal, term etc) and similarly the differences between annuities. Remember a variable annuity is a security.
• Know prospectus requirements (like when its required etc)
• Defintely know about retirement accounts (IRA, Roth etc)
• I had 1 question about Coverdell asking about max contribution
• There was 1 or 2 option question but it was about strategy (i.e. hedge)
• There was 1 question about "which of these is a security" (exempt security & exempt transaction know those)
• Know about exemptions for registration, i had a question "which of these would be exempt from registration"?
• i had couple questions about solicitors

That's it from what i can recall. i hope this information helps you in your studying journey. Remember to take breaks and believe in yourself. YOU CAN DO IT! Best of luck!

Nestled amidst the serene landscapes of South Australia lies a hidden gem of spiritual solace - the Hanuman Mandir. Serving as a beacon of Hindu spirituality and cultural heritage, this temple stands as a testament to the enduring devotion of its devotees and the vibrant tapestry of diversity within the Australian community.
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well, I am here to say that I PASSED my RBT certification after failing two times !! yes TWO times
it was frustrating but at the same time helped me to study more, I don't think it was an easy exam since English is not my first language, but I am here to say do not give up easily. Doing practice tests helped a lot!! also, I studied the terms and definitions, which made me better understand the concept of ABA it is important to know because we will use all this in our day with the kids.
Anyway God help me to give the best for those kids that need all our support.
if you didn't pass do it until you pass!! study hard!! Don't give up!

Took my asvab today and I’m not too impressed with my score. I scored in the low 60s! I was telling my recruiter that I think I want to retest , since all of the jobs I’d really love are in intelligence or technology. She says not to worry about it bc I can always retake the test in bootcamp or once I join the fleet. Not sure if I should follow that advice or retest now. Has anyone retested? And was it worth it? I know my score isn’t horrible, but I was really hoping to score in the 80s somewhere, because I scored over a 70 on the practice test.

A friend and I have been training our dogs to find morels this spring with mixed success. I wanted to share my experience here, and hear from others who may have tried this. Both dogs and humans have done quite a bit of dog sport-style nosework and my dog and I shed hunt, so we're no stranger to scentwork in general. Mushroom hunting has definitely thrown us some fascinating curveballs though!
We started training our dogs in February with the only morels we had at the time - dehydrated grocery store morels. We worked with both dehydrated and rehydrated versions of those, and both dogs were super solid at finding those during our training sessions in the woods.
Morel season is now in full swing in our area, so we finally got to test the dogs in the field last weekend. I found our first few mushrooms, and excitedly asked my dog to search that area...and he looked totally lost. When faced with the fresh yellow morels (unsure on exact species), both of out dogs showed absolutely zero recognition of that odor. They were completely walking over the morels with their noses to the ground without any indication that those were their target odor, which would be very out of character for them in our training sessions. Turns out - species matters (and maybe dehydrating as well), and a morel is not just a morel to the dogs. I found enough mushrooms that day to use for dog training samples and dinner for me. We went home and trained this new species, and the next day I went out hunting again. After that training with this new species, he found his first one in the wild.
I got to further test this idea that species matters for morel training later that week. Where I live, we have the yellows that grow along the river as well as the black morels that pop up in the wildfire areas. We took our dogs to a site that burned last year, humans found the first few to help the dogs, cued the dogs to search for those, and again - zero recognition of the new species. I took some of the black morels back home to train and we're going to hunt again next week.
When we started this project, we found very little guidance online, so we went in pretty blind and have just been trying our best. While it's kind of a bummer that our initial training wasn't directly useful, it's been a fascinating project. Besides the obvious glaring species-specific odor issue, I'm also wondering if processing (dehydrating, rehydrating) matters, and if the dogs can smell the mycelium in the soil when they're hunting?? I have no idea, but we're going to keep trying things and attempting to tease apart best practices.
Here's a (staged) photo of my guy from the day we realized our initial training hadn't been that useful. I'm proud of him for always trying his best and sticking with me while we figure this out!
Has anyone else done this training? I'd love to hear about your hiccups or successes!

I have my g1 and I am booked for my g test (applied foreign license experience) in a month exactly. How does it work for practicing? Like going in highways, etc? Do I treat as I have the g1 rules or g2? Do I need to have company to go into highways for practicing ?

All these acronyms, all this sh*t I don’t know about…
I have done Mikel Chapple’s LL course.
I have done Kelly Handerhan’s course.
I have done all 8 Learnzapp practice tests.
I have read 1/3 of the OSG (just over 300 pages) and now decided to skip the chapters and read the summaries, exams essentials at the end of the chapter and then do the practice tests at the end of the chapters too.
I sit exam on 19th June but I still feel miles away from passing. I’ve been at this since Jan on and off.
What study resource should I move to next? (Yes I know people post study resources all the time) but I would really love to know what sort of interactive learning course I can do that will really help me drill these concepts in.
Please someone help I don’t want to give up on this now I just need to know what are the most solid interactive online courses that will help me wrap all these concepts up.
Thanks all much appreciated!

Started my current job (Cyber security) about 9 months ago and it has been pretty underwhelming to say the least. I was promised that I'd do all these cool things (Pen test, static/dynamic tests, threat/vulnerability assessments) but all I've been doing is preparing requirements documentation. For context my background is in Sys Admin/network engineering roles. When I interviewed for this job, it sounded like this is the "next step" I should take to broaden my skillset but so far I'm starting to lose the experience and skills I gained in during my previous roles. Most of my experience has been practical hands-on work and I feel this hollowness inside when I'm just doing paperwork one after another, I just don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything.
Couple days ago I found a job opening within the company and I thought I was a great fit for it, I connected with someone who's already working there and they also said I'd be a good fit. My dilemma is whether to stay here (there are pros and cons for both roles) or try this new role.
Pros (current role): Coworkers and manager are great. They help me whenever I ask and are generally good people. I get to work remote (sometimes) which I think is pretty cool. Commute ~1hr. Not stressful at all.
Cons (current role): Writing documentation (requirements, plans, etc.) are not my strongest suit, and I hate it. I feel left out by my team when they're discussing important work meetings. I always feel like I'm in the dark. When I ask questions to other people (from other teams) for gathering data, I don't get any response, which delays my documentation tasks. Extreme Imposter Syndrome since the day I started.
Pros (potential future role): Per job description, it's what I used to before I started my current job (lots of hands on networking/sys admin tasks). I would feel like I did something (instead of being filled with guilt that I'm lazy and not doing anything of value to the company). I do not want to lose the skills I've gained. It would make be happier (possibly). 4 days of work (with some remote opportunities) a week.
Cons: I haven't started there, so it could be like my current role (how I was promised that I'd be doing practical hands on stuff). Commute > 1hr. Small pay-bump from my current role (5-6k).
Am I just overthinking here? I want to be able to feel like I did something at the end of a day. I feel like my co-workers think that I'm just lazy piece of Sh*t (it's probably not true but that fact that I don't feel like I do enough makes me think that they feel this way, maybe this is from the Imposter Syndrome I've been experiencing).
Has anyone been through situation like this or know anyone who did. I'd appreciate you guys' input.

'Kay so I went to practice tool and did some tests and BOTRK is nowhere close to kraken's damage outcome, on the same combo (E AA W AA AA Q AA E AA R) which uses well both item's strengths, kraken's always 200-600 higher depending on level as its passive scales with level. In addition, kraken + terminus is 300-600 dmg higher than BOTRK + kraken and kraken's build path is pure gold now with the axe and rectrix.
so overall, wouldn' just skipping the blade better even though it's a strong item and has sustain and slow?

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In the journey of life, some paths are more treacherous than others, winding through the shadows of addiction. It’s a journey that tests the limits of our strength, courage, and, most importantly, our faith. Yet, in the midst of this battle, many have discovered a powerful ally that lights the way and offers hope for recovery: prayer.
The Foundation of Faith At the heart of overcoming addiction is the fundamental belief in a power greater than ourselves. This belief, for many, is rooted in faith—a conviction that we are never alone, even in our darkest hours. Faith assures us of God’s unwavering presence, offering a beacon of hope when the shadows of addiction seem insurmountable.
The Power of Prayer Prayer is more than a routine or ritual; it is the language of the heart that connects us with the divine. It’s a form of spiritual communication that provides strength, solace, and guidance. Through prayer, we open our hearts to receive God’s grace, enabling us to face our struggles with a renewed sense of purpose and hope.
A Source of Strength For those battling addiction, prayer serves as a source of strength. It empowers individuals to navigate through cravings, moments of weakness, and the emotional turmoil that accompanies recovery. By surrendering our fears and anxieties to God, we gain the courage to continue on the path of sobriety, even when it feels like an uphill battle.
A Path to Healing Prayer also initiates a process of inner healing. It encourages self-reflection, helping individuals to confront the underlying issues that may have contributed to their addiction. Through heartfelt prayers, we seek forgiveness for our past mistakes and ask for guidance to make better choices in the future. This spiritual dialogue fosters a sense of peace and acceptance, essential components for healing and personal growth.
Building a Supportive Community The act of praying together, whether with family, friends, or within a faith community, strengthens the bonds of support that are crucial for recovery. It creates a shared spiritual experience that uplifts everyone involved, reminding those struggling with addiction that they are not alone. This sense of community can provide comfort during challenging times and celebrate successes along the way.
Testimonies of Transformation Countless individuals have shared testimonies of how faith and prayer have transformed their lives, guiding them out of the darkness of addiction into the light of recovery. These stories are not just accounts of personal triumphs; they are beacons of hope for others facing similar battles. They demonstrate that, with faith and prayer, change is possible, and a life free from addiction is within reach.
Embracing the Journey Overcoming addiction is a journey that requires patience, perseverance, and faith. It’s about learning to lean on a power greater than ourselves and finding solace in the promise of God’s love and grace. Prayer is a key that unlocks the door to this spiritual journey, offering a path to recovery that is grounded in hope, strengthened by faith, and illuminated by divine light.
As we navigate through the challenges of addiction, let us remember that we are never alone. Our faith, coupled with the power of prayer, provides the strength we need to overcome the obstacles we face. It’s a journey of healing, transformation, and ultimately, redemption. With God as our guide, we can and will find our way out of the shadows and into the light of a new dawn.
Remember, the path to recovery is a journey of a thousand steps, and it begins with a single, powerful act of faith: prayer.
Self-Reflection Questions/Journal Prompts:

1. Reflecting on Faith: How has your faith (or understanding of a higher power) provided strength in times of personal struggle, particularly with addiction or other challenges? Describe a moment when you felt this support most profoundly.
2. The Role of Prayer: Reflect on your experiences with prayer during difficult times. How do you feel it has impacted your journey toward recovery or healing?
3. A Dialogue with the Divine: Write a letter to God (or your understanding of a higher power) about your struggles with addiction. What would you ask for? What gratitude would you express?
4. Strength in Vulnerability: Reflect on a moment when admitting your weakness or vulnerability led to a discovery of inner strength. How did this change your perspective on seeking help or relying on faith?
5. Healing and Forgiveness: How has the concept of forgiveness—whether forgiving others or yourself—played a role in your recovery or personal growth? Consider moments of forgiveness that have sparked healing.
6. Community and Support: Write about the importance of community in your life. How has being part of a supportive group, faith-based or otherwise, helped you through your struggles?
7. Lessons from the Shadows: What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from the darkest times in your life, including any battles with addiction? How have these lessons shaped your faith or spirituality?
8. The Power of Testimony: Reflect on a story of recovery (yours or someone else’s) that has inspired you. What elements of this story resonate with you most, and how does it fuel your hope for the future?
9. A Conversation with Your Future Self: Imagine having a conversation with the future version of yourself, who has successfully navigated the path to recovery. What advice or words of wisdom do they offer?
10. Daily Acts of Faith: Identify small, daily acts where you can express or practice your faith and spirituality. How might these acts contribute to your journey of healing and recovery?

Test wasn’t horrible honestly (coming from someone who failed the 66 2x and didn’t study the book just took practice test as long as you know your stuff the questions are straightforward answer choices were simple and a few questions I did 50/50 good luck to anyone who testing be confident in your studying

Hey Entrepreneur!
I wanted to share the story of the past year and a half of my life - a tale of challenges, tech innovation, and a whole lot of snacks. This isn’t just about launching a product; it’s about solving a big problem that inspired an entire platform.
TL;DR: My buddy and I sold our previous snack subscription box company and made a cool thing

The Seeds of Discontent

At our previous company, my buddy Mike and I saw how powerful influencer marketing could be. Our business, delivering international snacks to doorsteps, was perfect for social media. But managing these influencer partnerships was a huge headache.
Each new campaign started with excitement but quickly became overwhelming. We dealt with many social media platforms, each with its own rules and metrics. Keeping track of everything felt like trying to solve a puzzle with pieces that kept changing. The tools we used were basic. They helped us send products and payments but didn’t offer much for managing or understanding the big picture.
Tracking our campaign performance was a real pain. With just a small team running our marketing, we were juggling hundreds of influencers at the same time. It was hard to keep an eye on everyone and make quick decisions. Plus, the data we got was often late and messy, making things even more frustrating.
This constant struggle showed us a big gap in our toolkit. We needed a solution that could make managing influencers easier and give us useful insights, something as dynamic and global as our product. This ongoing frustration planted the seeds for what would eventually become our new company.

Market Research: Finding the Pain Points

After selling our previous business, Mike and I took a six-month break. We explored different ideas, from unique apps to a Castle Crashers style game. But our experience working with creators kept pulling us back to marketing. We knew the challenges of influencer marketing needed to be addressed.
We talked to our network in the e-commerce space to see if they had similar problems. The feedback was eye-opening. Many businesses struggled with existing tools, which mostly acted as simple marketplaces, where interactions were brief and not very deep.
Even worse, the few ambassador tools available were expensive and limited. When I searched for an ambassador software tool that worked across all social networks, the options I found required scheduling demos days in advance. They often lacked direct API connections and supported only a few major social media networks. The starting prices were high, often around $5k per month, with costs going up as the program expanded.
This research not only validated our experiences but also showed us a strategic need for our own tool. We realized we needed a solution not just to fill the current gap but also as a key part of our marketing stack for future businesses. We were determined to build something that wouldn’t force us—or anyone else—to pay a crazy amount for effective influencer marketing.

Designing the Dream: Our New Business’ Blueprint

With a clear vision from our frustrations and market research, we set out to create our new business. Our goal was to build a comprehensive tool that would change influencer marketing. Here’s what we focused on:

• Comprehensive Integration: We made sure the tool we created works with the top 10 social networks in the US. This unified approach helps marketers manage campaigns across different platforms easily, without juggling multiple tools.
• Dynamic Engagement Tools: Engagement is key, so we developed real-time interaction capabilities. We built user-friendly native apps for ambassadors on the App Store and Google Play, allowing influencers to stay engaged and responsive. Brands manage their campaigns through a web-based company portal.
• Robust Analytics Engine: While our analytics engine gives deep insights, we know it needs continuous improvement. We designed it to evolve, offering ongoing updates to refine its capabilities and deliver actionable intelligence.
• Flexible and Fun Engagement: The points and rewards system was the most important and fun feature to develop. This gamification of the influencer experience encourages participation and loyalty, making marketing campaigns more engaging.
• Advanced Group Segmentation: We included the ability to segment ambassadors into groups. This allows brands to target certain activities and rewards to specific groups, enhancing the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

Each feature of our tool we were creating was designed to address specific pain points we identified. Our goal was to offer a tool that was powerful, efficient, adaptable, and enjoyable for both brands and their ambassador partners.

Launching Our New Business: Embracing User Feedback

After about 18 months of design and development, we started the soft launch of our new business on May 1st. Opting for a soft launch allowed us to focus on real-time feedback and fine-tuning over making a big initial splash. This approach is crucial - not just for introducing our product but for understanding how it fits into the real world, where actual users rely on it.

Initial Rollout and Testing

Our launch a couple of weeks ago marked the start of our public journey. We released our new tool we created with ambassador apps on the App Store and Google Play, and opened our web-based company portal for business use. This phase is not about mass marketing but about engaging with our professional network and early adopters testing everything in real-world conditions. This includes real companies and creators, ensuring our platform is robust and responsive.

Iterative Feedback Integration

Feedback from these early stages is invaluable. We have set up multiple channels to communicate with our initial users to ensure they feel supported and heard. This ongoing dialogue is critical as it helps us identify and implement necessary adjustments quickly. Each piece of feedback is a step towards improving functionality and user experience.

Continued Development Based on Early Insights

Since we are still in the soft launch phase, our focus remains on refining the platform. A recent development was adding the Creator Hub and Company Center about a month ago—enhancements from recognizing limitations in our initial setup.
Creator Hub: The Creator Hub allows businesses to manage their ambassador relationships dynamically. Companies can discover and invite creators who match their interests and campaign goals, ensuring more personalized and effective collaborations.
Company Center: This feature allows creators to independently discover and apply to various ambassador programs, giving them the freedom to engage with brands that align with their interests.
These features aim to make the connection between companies and creators as seamless and beneficial as possible, accommodating a wide range of marketing strategies and campaign sizes.

How The Tool We Created Works: Streamlining Influencer Marketing

Our tool is designed to simplify and enhance the influencer marketing process for both companies and creators. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how our platform works:

1. Signup and Integration

- Companies can quickly create customizable signup forms. They can also invite new ambassadors directly from the Creator Hub that match their interests. This flexibility helps integrate Social Strudel into existing marketing workflows.
2. Ambassador Onboarding
- Creators apply to become ambassadors, download the Social Strudel app, and connect their social media accounts. This ensures that once approved, creators can start engaging with brand campaigns promptly.
3. Application Review
- Companies get notifications of new applicants and can approve or decline them based on their fit and relevance to marketing goals. This step ensures only the best ambassadors represent the brand.
4. Targeted Segmentation
- Companies can segment ambassadors into groups, allowing them to tailor activities and communications. This supports targeted marketing strategies and more personalized engagement.
5. Activity Management
- Companies set up new activities on various social platforms for ambassadors. Examples include:

• Instagram: Create a photo post featuring the brand’s latest snack box and use specific hashtags.
  
• TikTok: Develop a short video showing a fun unboxing of the product, encouraging engagement through likes and comments.
  
• Twitch: Host a live stream where the ambassador tries snacks from the box during a gaming session, discussing favorites with viewers.
  

- These are just examples, and activities can be tailored to fit different platforms and goals.
6. Real-Time Notifications
- Creators get notifications about new activities through push notifications and email. They can browse the app for available activities, ensuring they never miss an opportunity.
7. Submission and Verification
- Creators submit proof of activity completion directly through the app. This makes managing submissions easy and organized for companies.
8. Activity Approval
- Companies review submitted activities, approving or declining them based on quality and alignment with campaign objectives. This maintains high standards and ensures effectiveness.
9. Rewards and Motivation
- Upon approval, creators earn points, which can be redeemed for various rewards. This system motivates creators to produce high-quality content and stay engaged.
10. Custom Rewards Creation

• Companies create custom rewards, ranging from products, discounts, to unique experiences, or even cash. This flexibility allows brands to align rewards with their strategies and ambassador preferences.

11. Reward Notifications and Redemption

• Creators are notified of available rewards and can redeem their points. This keeps creators motivated and engaged.

12. Reward Distribution Management

• Companies are notified about reward redemptions and distribute rewards accordingly. This final step ensures creators are compensated for their efforts, and companies can manage reward distribution easily.

Looking Forward: The Road Ahead for Us

As we continue with our new business, we are committed to not just meeting but exceeding the evolving needs of digital marketing. We’ve only just begun to tap into our platform’s potential, and our roadmap is geared towards enhancing our service and expanding our reach.

Enhanced Integration Capabilities

We aim to expand our platform’s integration capabilities, adding support for social networks like WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, and Quora, and adapting to new emerging platforms like the anticipated Vine 2. By covering more platforms, we provide our users with tools to engage with audiences everywhere online.

Advanced Analytics and AI Implementation

Understanding the crucial role of data, we plan to enhance our analytics engine with advanced metrics and predictive analytics. By integrating AI, we aim to give users insights that reflect current trends and anticipate future behaviors.

Continued Focus on User Experience

User feedback is key and remains a cornerstone of our development. We are committed to refining the user experience based on real usage and feedback. This includes enhancing our mobile apps and ensuring the Creator Hub and Company Center are intuitive and robust. Both are still in early stages, and we are actively working to improve these features.

Expanding Educational Resources

To help users fully leverage the tool we created, we plan to expand our educational resources. This includes tutorials, best practice guides, and case studies for new users, and advanced content for experienced marketers to refine their strategies.

Final Reflections

If you've stuck with me this long through our story, thank you! Reflecting on this journey, it’s clear that every challenge and setback helped shape our vision and refine our approach. From the initial frustrations to the detailed market research, every step has been a learning experience. We're excited about the future and committed to improving our platform constantly to meet the evolving needs of our users and potential users. If you have any questions or feedback at all, I’d love to hear it! Your insights and support mean a lot as my partner and I continue to grow and innovate.
EDIT: Formatting

My team built a proof-of-concept in 4 days to quickly test out an idea. However, we've found that this kind of rapid POC development doesn't seem to be very common in our network.
I'm curious, what is your experience?

1. How common is rapid POC development (taking just a few days to a couple weeks) in your experience? Do you frequently build quick POCs to test ideas?
   
2. What value do you see in building POCs?
   
3. Any tips or best practices you've found for making POC efficient and at validating ideas?
   

DRW is a diversified trading firm with over 3 decades of experience bringing sophisticated technology and exceptional people together to operate in markets around the world. We value autonomy and the ability to quickly pivot to capture opportunities, so we operate using our own capital and trading at our own risk.
Headquartered in Chicago with offices throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, we trade a variety of asset classes including Fixed Income, ETFs, Equities, FX, Commodities and Energy across all major global markets. We have also leveraged our expertise and technology to expand into three non-traditional strategies: real estate, venture capital and cryptoassets.
We operate with respect, curiosity and open minds. The people who thrive here share our belief that it’s not just what we do that matters–it's how we do it. DRW is a place of high expectations, integrity, innovation and a willingness to challenge consensus.
We are looking for passionate Software Engineers to join our team. You will develop critical software that our traders, researchers and engineering teams use to implement and analyze our algorithmic trading strategies. As a member of our team, you will be surrounded by cutting-edge technology and senior technologists providing you with the best possible environment to succeed.
How you will make an impact:

Building scalable and performant software using software engineering best practices Analyzing and discussing requirements from stakeholders Facilitating discussions on code implementation, testing, software architecture best practices Driving projects and leading new initiatives Actively engaging with others on the development team to resolve challenging design and coding issues 

What you bring to the team:

A Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or equivalent experience Strong understanding of software development principles and best practices Strong verbal and written communication skills in English Dedicated team player and a passionate problem solver with strong interpersonal skills Experience with Go Passion for clean code, software and systems architecture, and building robust, performant, and maintainable systems Experience working with Linux systems, client/server protocols, distributed and event-driven systems, data storage systems, data pipelines, and containers in a cloud environment Some experience with frontend development would be an asset 

Read more / apply: https://www.golangprojects.com/golang-go-job-gni-Software-Engineer-Golang-Network-Ops-Solutions-London-DRW.html

I feel like I’m not doing anything right. I was feeling so confident, all the practice multiple choice tests, I aced. All of my videos I watched, I understood. Yesterday, I failed my competency exam miserably. I bombed it. I could not give them a single definition off the top of my head. The company I’m going to be working for has been so incredibly sweet and supportive, and I have another one for Monday, but I feel so scared. I feel like I haven’t done anything right. I also didn’t even realize I violated ethical code, as I put “RBT” on Facebook for a job description, not realizing that it’s still a violation even without seeking a job through it, as I’ve taken the job and completed the hiring process. (It’s now removed.) but I feel really really scared and I feel like I messed up so incredibly badly. I’m studying really hard and I’m getting better at my definitions, but already screwing up is making me feel really scared. What terminology do I use? How bad did I mess up? I think this is a good lesson to me more hands off and think a lot more on what I do and say online, and to really evaluate this learning curve. It’s for the better, and it’s the entire reason I started this. (I pick jobs that I’m “qualified” to do, but that are things I struggle with, so that way I learn to do them. IE- social interaction, I got a job that forced me to be social. This one is forcing me to make sure I think before I speak, to better the way I interact with people, etc.) I’m sorry, I know this is very rant-y but I’m just scared and nervous and I’m new and want to make sure I do everything correctly.